


The Crow Witch

by writingisa



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types
Genre: Animal Companions, Canon-Typical Violence, Evil, F/F, F/M, Familiars, Fantasy, Halflings, Implied Sexual Content, Knights - Freeform, M/M, Made-up God System, Magic, Multi, Pirates, Princes & Princesses, Royalty, Sailing, Sailors, Swords, Swords & Sorcery, The Beasts - Freeform, Tnacea, has a little spice?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:34:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 25,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28563612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingisa/pseuds/writingisa
Summary: For now, this a short story collection of my D&D character's life before and after.
Relationships: Princess/Knight - Relationship, lazulie/llyr





	1. Lazulie the Crow

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> Thank you for reading! =) This, for now, will be a collection of short stories about my D&D character's life before and after. I'm going to try to post them in order, but it may seem a bit all over the place!

**Lazulie, the Crow**

Lazulie was her father's right hand. His general, his go-to diplomat. And as princess, Lazulie had a duty to her people, too. Among her men, they called her the Crow. Hair as black as night, iridescent in the sun as she slid through the shadows almost unseen. Her eyes were sharp, the lapis blue of them dark from a distance. The name originated when Lazulie told her men to stay on the edge of the trees as she entered the wood alone on her 17th birthday. Llyr, her first-mate and bodyguard, kept his hand on his sword as he paced back and forth. He didn't like leaving her alone. It was his job to keep her safe, more so from herself than from anything else. She was her father's general, after all. The girl could beat him at anything, could out sword anyone. 

In that wood, however, was the biggest test she'd have to face. Lazulie was seventeen now, and she had to earn her rightful passage like anyone else. If she failed, she didn't know if she'd be able to look at herself in the mirror anymore. 

The test was simple. To gain her animal companion, she would have to prove herself worthy of one. The problem, however, was that the Beasts were watching. Listening. Waiting to throw something at her. Lazulie didn't like to be unprepared or caught off guard. 

The woods were a dark place, compared to the brightly shining sun outside of the trees. It was eerily silent as she made her way through. Lazulie wasn't bothered by the silence, but it was the kind of silence that made her skin crawl. And then she heard it- the cry of a small animal, bird or kitten- coming from her left. Her heart skipped a beat as her head turned, trying to find the source of the sound. What had the Beasts planned for her? What would she have to do in order to show them she was worthy? 

And then her eyes narrowed in on a strange black lump against a tree trunk. It was moving oddly, and she realized that the small creature- a black bird, a crow?- its wing was twisted at an angle. Lazulie moved quickly towards it, her ears listening for anything else. The bird squawked at her when she neared it, and she kneeled next to the small creature and held out her hand. It's dark eyes watched her and it cautiously nudged her fingers with its beak. 

"You're alright now, little one," she whispered, her tone soft. The bird squawked at her again, and Lazulie smiled. It let her pick it up and examine its wing. "The good news, my friend, is that your wing isn't broken." 

There was a loud crashing from behind them and the little crow tensed in her arms. "Did that thing behind us hurt you?" she asked quietly, and the bird tried to move closer into her chest. Lazulie let out a deep breath, and looked for a place to put the creature so she could turn around to face the foe. In the tree trunk was a little niche she stashed the bird in before she stood, hand on her sword. 

As she turned, a menacing scream pierced the air and she came face to face with a shadow monster. Everything happened so quickly after that. She felt her hand unsheathe her weapon, the slice clean and quick. The monster roared out another scream, this time in agony, as it reared back. She took the opening, jumping up to embed her sword in the creature's heart with a scream of her own. 

She landed on the ground with a thump, her sword cutting into the earth. Shadow tendrils dispersed around her and then she heard her little crow let out a chirp from its safe perch within the tree.

When she emerged from the woods that day, her men swore up and down that the Shadow Beast had smiled proudly upon her as they saw giant, shadow-like wings erupt from her back as the sun touched their princess' skin. Llyr ran to her, his smile bright and brown skin warm from waiting in the sun for hours. She held the bird closer to her, its wing wrapped in the cloth she usually kept tied at her waist, as Llyr ran to her. The little bird chirped at her again as it watched its new mistress become enthralled with the man coming towards them.

"You did it!" Llyr grinned at her, his hazel blue eyes too bright with affection. 

She felt a teasing smile grace her lips as she chirped back, "Of course I did!" 

And as they stared at each other, the rest of her men started calling at them, some of them whistling. Her pale skin grew hot as she blushed. Llyr, of course, returned to soldier mode at their jibes and yelled back.  But he let his fingers graze hers before he left to rally the men. And her little crow purred into her chest as she hugged it to her. "I'm going to name you Ronan, little one. From now on, we are one and the same," she told the bird softly. Lazulie kissed its head and then went to rejoin her men to go back home. 


	2. Lazulie & Llyr

**Lazulie & Llyr**

It had started off as a small crush on one of her father's soldiers. He was a nameless, handsome being, and Lazulie could live with that. She was fourteen at the time. And then the soldier was appointed as her bodyguard. He was sixteen, and had risen the ranks rapidly with his daring deeds and unwavering loyalty to the King. She stuffed her feelings in a box and had a physical ceremony for them in the garden the night the announcement was made. Her littlest sister, Pearl- who was four- and Lazulie's handmaiden were in attendance. 

Night after night she wished that that ceremony had been enough, that her feelings were dead and buried in the garden. But now he wasn't nameless. He was Llyr, and he was handsome, and he was  _ always  _ there. ALWAYS. She could not mope on her own now, as there was never a moment alone. She could not let her emotions get the better of her. Lazulie had attempted to ask her father for a change in guards, but he refused.

"Lazulie, you are my heir. When you turn sixteen, you will be my general and my diplomat for the kingdom. You want me to get rid of the best knight this kingdom has ever seen because you… what,  _ like  _ him?"

"Father!"

"I am afraid, my daughter, that I cannot do such a thing. You know your duties. Maybe, when the time comes for you to marry, the young man will have continued to prove himself and the people of this kingdom will not bat an eye at your union," the King smiled at her, his tone teasing. He chuckled at the angry look on her face.

Lazulie pursed her lips and stomped out of the throne room, her anger rising. She ran into Llyr outside her rooms, the surprised expression at her  _ not  _ being in her rooms evident in his face.

"You!" she hissed at him. "Sword. Training. Now."

"With you?"

Her blue eyes twinkled at him as she glanced over her shoulder at him, "Have a problem with that, pretty boy?"

His cheeks dusted over with bright red, and his lips parted slightly as she laughed and continued to walk away. Llyr grabbed the sword at his hip and ran after her.

They had been friends ever since.

But as they both grew older, she got to know him better. He was... _ wonderful.  _ Llyr was funny, but he was also serious when the occasion called for it. He was the best training partner she had ever had, and he never went easy on her. When she became the King's general, Lazulie was the best soldier the kingdom had ever seen. Llyr was very proud of her accomplishments, but even though she could beat him at anything, her father insisted that he continue to guard her. 

Apparently her crush on her bodyguard did not go unnoticed by the man himself. It started as fingers grazing against each other and staring for far too long and bright smiles. And then training got more...physical. Not sexual by any means, just more lingering touches instead of the sting of a blade. He had gotten in the habit of kissing her hand goodnight when he dropped her off at her rooms. Sometimes his lips would linger a little too long, his eyes meeting hers in the candlelight. 

The night she turned the tables on him, she almost wished she hadn't. She had meant it as a joke, as she kissed his hand instead, but there was clearly nothing funny about this at all. His eyes were dark, his face flushed high on his cheeks, bottom lip pulled between his teeth. She let his hand fall, and as she turned away with a teasing smile on her lips, she heard him exhale his breath roughly through his nose. "Goodnight, Llyr," she whispered, eyes glinting in the warm glow of the light.

"Goodnight, Princess Lazulie," was his broken reply. And as the door shut behind her, she grinned foolishly, her own skin feeling hot. 

The day they were ambushed on her twenty-third birthday- the day she saw him and Ronan lying in the wet sand in a pool of his own blood, his beautiful face, his warm eyes dull- she realized that they had never said the words out loud to each other.  _ I love you.  _

Her rage in that moment, the rage of a broken heart, tore her to pieces. She was the last one standing on the beach, but it didn't matter anymore. She couldn't live without either of them. And as she crawled towards him and her little crow, her head growing faint and the pain fading, her fingernails broken and caked with sand, Lazulie let the words slip past her lips. 

The ocean was the one who replied, the sting of the salt against her wounds keeping her somewhat lucid. And as she curled up next to her boys, Lazulie closed her eyes and let the darkness take her.


	3. New Friends & the Past

**New Friends & the Past**

Crow watched Harley- or as she preferred to call her, Beegan- play in the small garden outside the cabin. She had let the little halfling plant it after it was clear that she would be staying for an extended period of time. Crow herself didn't need to eat anymore, but Beegan and her bee friends needed to. And, she would admit, the garden was a nice addition to her home. It brought life to an otherwise dead environment. And color. Crow didn't realize how much she had missed color before Beegan had washed up, literally, into her life. Well, not life, exactly. But whatever her existence was now. 

The Shadow Beast was quite insistent that the halfling stay here, and Crow was glad he had convinced her to let the girl stay. It was...nice...to have a friend again. Or a sister. It had been so long she had had the presence of either. 

Besides Llyr and her crew….and her  _ father,  _ Crow did not know what had happened to her younger siblings. She had been in the spirit world for a little bit before the Shadow Beast had called to her, and she knew that she had descendants in this current time. Before Beegan had situated herself on the island, Crow hadn't even thought of what could have happened to them. To little Pearl, or Kai. Or even Talia, the brat. 

Her grief had been so violent upon her death, that it was the only thing strong enough to tether her to this new world. It's devastation matching her own. But as her grief transformed Lazulie into the Crow Witch, she had begun to lose parts of herself. The things that had made her human to begin with. It had been so long since she had had anyone to talk to this frequently that she had even begun to forget Llyr. 

Crow knew that the Shadow Beast had something up his sleeve in regards to Beegan. She was beginning to feel more and more human as the days went...well, as human as she could be as a ghost. But at the thought of Llyr, her stomach gave a twist, as if in knots. She had the strong urge to puke, and was curious to see if that was something she could do now. She had already cried, something she didn't realize was possible anymore, and it wouldn't have happened without Beegan's companionship. 

She didn't really want to tell Beegan about Llyr, but Crow knew if she didn't that this feeling inside would eventually bubble over into something horrible. Maybe her magic would lash out. No...it was better to tell her now than to wait. Ronan nudged her cheek from his perch on her shoulder, and she scratched just under his beak. 

"This will all end soon," she told him quietly, still watching Beegan in the garden. "Just a little while longer...and then we can go home. To him."

Ronan purred next to her, and she let out a sigh. 

She didn't want to leave Harley here all alone. But Crow had been here for so long, and she was tired. This madness would end, she'd make sure of it. And once her mission was over, she and her little crow would be able to leave this place. She wondered if the Shadow Beast would let Harley keep their cabin on the island. It was safe here, after all, and if there was anything she could do to keep her friend safe, Crow would do it. 


	4. Lazulie & the Kiss

**Lazulie & the Kiss**

The sight of one of the maids kissing him set her blood on fire and had her stomach churning. It didn't help matters when he made eye contact with her, but before he could pull away from the girl, Lazulie was already walking away. Quickly.  _ Gods, she felt sick.  _ So many nights she had wondered what it'd be like to kiss him. To somehow make him  _ hers _ . Thinking about it made her angrier. As she reached her rooms, she made sure to slide the locks into place so no one could bother her. And even if they pounded on those doors, no one,  _ absolutely no one,  _ was getting in.

She sat in the middle of the floor, her knees to her chest and blue eyes closed as she tried to take in deep breaths. 

It was just a kiss.

She had no claim. 

_ Llyr was her guard.  _ Her friend.

Why did she feel so sick? She had never been sick a day in her life! Ronan cawed at her from the window, and it was just enough warning before Llyr came climbing through, armor and all like the idiot (bitch) he was. 

The top of his dark hair was tied back in a ponytail over the shaved parts of his head. It was a very good look for him, but Lazulie tried to wipe the thought from her mind.  _ Stop it!  _

"What are you doing here? And why the hell did you climb through my window? You could've fallen!" Lazulie hissed at him from her perch on the floor. 

Llyr stared at her, his expression unreadable and his hazel blue eyes more serious than she'd ever seen them. She stared back, not willing to show her weaknesses even when she would have rather hidden away from him. As he made strides towards her, she noticed that he hadn't answered any of her questions.

"Llyr, what are you--"

"Quiet."

Lazulie raised an eyebrow at him. Never before had he given her an order like that- and certainly not without her title. But she did as she was told, her lapis blue eyes narrowing at him as he crouched down to her level.  _ So so close.  _ And then he was reaching for her, his calloused hands grabbing behind her neck to pull her closer as he placed his lips over hers for what seemed too fleeting.

She stared at him wide eyed when he pulled away. Llyr, suddenly coming to his senses, turned bright red upon realizing what he had just done. But Lazulie was never one to back off, and as Llyr made to move further away from her, she grabbed the sides of his face and planted another one on him. 

"Princess--"

"Lazulie. Say Lazulie,  _ please-- _ "

"Lazulie," he breathed out, threading his fingers through her raven hair, "What are we doing?"

Their eyes met, and she smiled softly, almost sadly, even. "One day this kingdom will be mine, Llyr. And when that day comes, I want you by my side," she told him, no more than a whisper. "My kiss was a promise of things to come, but if your kiss does not mirror mine, then you should go."

Their next kiss was more passionate. Llyr pulling her impossibly closer, his armor hard and cold against her. When they managed to pull away from each other, he rested his forehead against hers. 

"That day you came back to your rooms, seething and demanding I train with you, I knew I was lost. My heart belongs to you, Lazulie. Only you," he whispered to her and she nuzzled her nose against his. "Your kiss means more to me than any prize or piece of gold. I will always wait for you."

"Promise?"

"I promise."


	5. Lazulie...& Feelings

***takes place after Lazulie & The Kiss**

Princess Lazulie had spent days avoiding Llyr, her knight guard, after their heated kisses and confessions. She couldn't believe that she had been so...so...so  _ open.  _ He had climbed to her window after her jealousy had caught his attention, and while the confessions and kisses had been nice, Lazulie did not know where to go from there. 

And it didn't help that the morning after said kisses and confessions, her father had thrown them onto her boat with a new mission. 

She glared at the open sea. Never before did she loathe being on the water as she did then. Here, on the boat, there was no place to hide- though she spent a lot of time in the crows nest with Ronan- here it was virtually impossible to have time to yourself. Lazulie gripped the railing tighter, her nails digging into the polished wood. 

"Captain, the crew wanted to make port for some...excursions," Llyr's voice cut off her thinking and loathing and she visibly tensed up. 

"Fine," she sighed, running a hand over her pretty features before she slowly turned around. "Where's the--?"

She shouldn't have turned around. 

Llyr was  _ shirtless-  _ her mouth snapped shut- and his back was to her, revealing tattoos she had never seen, had never known  _ existed.  _ A compass sat on his left shoulder, braced against waves that creeped up his forearm. A wolf symbol sat on the other side, signifying his knight status and culture _.  _ And the piece de resistance: high in the middle of his shoulder blades, near his neck, was  _ her _ symbol. A small crow with wings outstretched and its eyes were lapis blue. Her breath caught at the sight of it. That tattoo said many things, but none of which she was ready to discuss. Llyr was looking at a map by the time she realized he was still talking at her. His head turned back towards her, hazel blue eyes sparkling and silver earrings glinting in the sun and he grinned sharply at her. Lazulie felt warm all over and she wanted the ocean to forgive her for loathing it and drown her in its depths.  _ Gods, what was happening? _

"There's a port probably a few hours away. We'll make it in time for happy hour, Laz," he informed her, looking back at the map again. Her heart skipped several beats and she turned back towards the railing. She chucked her shoes off and tried to climb onto it before he noticed.

Nope! Feelings were a nope. 

_ Lazulie. _

She closed her eyes and gripped the rope tighter before she exhaled and let go.

And then: " **Lazulie, what the fuck are you doing?"**

She looked back at him wide eyed and then he yanked her back off the railing while she wriggled against him, the crew on deck very pointedly avoiding looking in their direction. He threw her into her room and shut the door behind them. She scrabbled onto her bed like a cat and he sat on her desk chair looking worn out and restless and probably very sunburned- she would have to speak to her father about raising his pay; did he not have enough to buy proper clothing? That would be a problem.  _ Obviously it's a problem. _

He exhaled loudly through his mouth and extended his arms out towards her, hands clenching, as he tried to form words. "What were you doing?" Llyr finally asked. 

"I-um…" she didn't actually have an answer. " _ Taking a swim?" _

" _ While the boat is moving at full speed?" _

She raised her chin, narrowed her eyes, "Yes."

"What am I going to do with you?" he groaned, putting his head in his hands, his short hair flopping side to side in its warrior ponytail as he shook his head. Lazulie pursed her lips.

"You called me Laz," she whispered at him.

Llyr's head shot up, "I did what?" His cheeks were turning pink. The boy was  _ blushing.  _ She fought her smile by biting her bottom lip. She could feel his eyes burning into her skin but she couldn't find it in herself to meet his gaze. "I'm sorry," he finally said. It was soft, too quiet. 

That did it. Her eyes snapped to his quickly at his apology. "Don't be. I...liked it," she told him, honestly.

He smiled a little. And then it became clear that neither knew what to say and they sat there in the captain's quarters in complete silence and awkwardness. Eventually, he cleared his throat, "Lazulie, I just want you to know that I meant what I said in your room the other night. We didn't really get to talk about it, and I know you haven't exactly had the space to think about it, either, but I want...whatever you want."

Sometimes it surprised her how well he knew her. In all of her forms. As Lazulie, as princess, as captain. "I want you," she whispered softly. "I meant what I said, too." 

"I can't give you what you deserve," he whispered back, smiling sadly. 

She laughed a little at this, and crawled towards him. His eyes never left hers. "It's a good thing that  _ I  _ can give you everything that  _ you  _ deserve. I have you and Ronan, and that's all I need," Lazulie told him, smiling. 

"You like playing things the dangerous way, don't you?"

Her smile turned into a grin, "I think it's you who likes to play things dangerously. Stealing the heart of the crown princess? Llyr, I don't think my accomplishments compare."

He blushed a fiery red and continued to get more red as her grin turned into, well, a dangerous smile that he could feel in every part of his being. He wondered if she knew that there were hundreds, if not thousands, of people who would play any game of hers to win her hand. He wondered if she knew just how beautiful she was. The way she was looking at him now made him think that she did. But maybe she had only guessed that he found her attractive. It wasn't hard to deduce, afterall. He stared far too much at her for someone who was only supposed to be her guard. 

"Lazulie, I lo--"

He didn't get to finish his sentence. Her lips were on his, her hands on his bare chest, and he figured he would have another chance to tell her just how much he loved her. Years later, with arrows in his back and tears and blood running down his face, he would regret that he never said the words out loud.

But here, in this moment, the two were happier than anything in the world. When Ronan appeared in her window and let out an annoyed squawk, they broke a part laughing, their foreheads pressed together as her little crow wormed his way in between them. 


	6. Llyr & Her Name

**Llyr & Her Name**

  
  


She first found out that he was carving her name into the very wood of her ship when she caught him absent-mindedly doing it in the middle of a  _ meeting.  _ Lazulie had become so distracted that when the older sailor who was her navigator, Telman, grasped her shoulder to get her attention, she jumped, blue eyes wide and a blush spreading across her cheeks.

Telman gave her a look she was quite familiar with- it was the same one her father or her Uncle gave her when she was being too enraptured with the young man who was always so close by. It was a teasing look, and to see it on one of her crew made her embarrassed.  _ How many of them knew? _

As the other members of the meeting kept discussing a plan of action, Telman leaned closer to her and whispered gruffly, "That boy scribbles your name everywhere on this ship. I'm surprised you've never noticed until now, Princess."

She blinked at him, her cheeks becoming even redder. "Does everyone know?" Lazulie questioned quietly.

The old man chuckled lowly, "Captain, with the way you two oogle each other, the whole damn kingdom knows."

When the meeting finally dispersed, Lazulie slipped out unnoticed and explored the ship, on a mission for the carvings of her name. She couldn’t wrap her head around  _ why  _ Llyr would do such a thing. A part of her knew- she did- that it was because Llyr was just as entranced by her as she was by him. The logical part of her brain refused to believe such a thing, even though they had confessed their feelings. Maybe it was the raw, gnawing feeling that something was going to happen, was going to burst, once they reached a certain point. And not in a good way.

There was one near the hull of her ship. A tiny scribble of her name in common. Ronan squawked at her from behind and she felt her feet moving towards him, her cloak whipping in the sea air behind her. Another on the mast, slightly larger.  _ Lazulie.  _

"Ah- you've seen them, then?" One of her crew mates asked, tipping his chin towards another carving of her name. "Better tell the First Mate to be sneakier about his feelings if he wants to avoid the teasing."

"I'll be sure to tell him, Marko," she responded in a whisper.

"And Captain?"

"Yes?"

"You don’t have to worry. Well, maybe about the bet between us crew, but I don't think any of us are going to win anytime soon," Marko said bluntly.  _ A bet. Beasts, did everyone in the entire world know of their affection for each other?  _ Her mother would be so ashamed. 

Lazulie forced herself to ask him, "And why is that?"

He must have noticed the slip in her tone, and Marko stood straighter, "If you pardon me, Captain, I only meant that you two are kind of clueless."

She blinked at him, expressionless, and he stepped back nervously, rubbing his neck. Lazulie raised an eyebrow at him, "And what did you bet?"

He let out a heavy sigh, knowing that he walked right into this, "That you and the kid wouldn't confess your feelings until you did something stupid."

She barked out a laugh at that. He wasn't wrong. She had half expected Llyr to have first confessed to her after she had run headfirst into a battle by herself and he let it slip while he berated her for being careless. That had been the fantasy, at least. But in reality, he had been the idiot. Marko stared at her wide eyed. He had never heard her laugh out loud before- little giggles and snickers, yes- but this laugh was something else. 

"I'll tell you something Marko," Lazulie said in between laughs, " _ Llyr was the one who did something stupid.  _ He climbed to the windows of my room at the castle  _ in full armor!"  _

Marko found himself laughing with her at that. He had to admit, none of the crew had even come close in guessing how those two would get together. "I'll tell you something, Princess. That boy is so lovesick that he carves your name  _ everywhere.  _ Not just on the ship. Telman told me he got it tattooed on himself at a tavern a while back. Boy didn't even realize that's what he'd asked for until it was done! But you didn't hear that from me," the sailor chuckled, and then he went about his business.

Ronan landed on her shoulder and rubbed his head against hers. She turned towards her quarters, where she knew Llyr would be, and headed towards the door. She thought about knocking first but then shook her head.  _ This was her room. Her quarters.  _ Lazulie threw open the door and then quickly shut it. He was at her desk, an old quill of hers buried in the wood, presumably carving out her name in a tiny scribble. Her gaze went to his neck where a piece of a tattoo could be seen. She had seen those.  _ But where was her name?  _

"Where is it?"

"Where is what?" he asked, his eyebrows scrunching in confusion. She watched as he awkwardly set the quill down and tried to cover up what he had just been doing. 

Lazulie walked towards him, her cloak dragging on the floor. "My name, where is it?"

Llyr blushed a vibrant red against his brown skin and she ached to kiss it. Instead, she steeled her expression the way she had been taught by her mother- though she didn’t think the woman had had this in mind when teaching her daughter the ways of a Queen. He averted his eyes, and moved his hand from covering the carving on her desk. 

"Llyr," she whispered softly. He hadn't realized she'd stepped closer to him. She was close enough to touch now. He wanted to touch her, but instead, he forced himself to look into her eyes, his blush be damned. "Where is the one on your skin?"

His breath caught at her question, his hazel blue eyes widening slightly. She was never this forward, preferring to run or be chased. But sometimes he forgot that she could take what she wanted. And she wanted to know where he had branded her name into his very soul. Truth be told, he'd done it a few times in different ways. 

Her symbol of the crow- Ronan- a small crown with lapis blue jewels, a compass... _ the ocean.  _ He'd had his ears pierced as well, always wearing lapis lazuli's to remind himself and others of the Princess. But here she was, asking if he had  _ her name  _ tattooed on him.  _ And of course he did.  _ It had been the first one. He had been a little drunk, and all he had wanted was to follow Lazulie to her rooms and kiss her senseless. But she hadn't seemed to acknowledge his feelings, or if she did, she probably hadn't cared. Now he knew that he was wrong, but at the time, he'd wanted to scream or die. Anything to stop the agony. Instead, he sat in the bar while some stranger with a needle carved her name into his skin in blue ink under his left pectoral. Where his heart beat. 

_ She wanted to see. _

"Llyr," she whispered again, more of a question this time. 

His fingers fell to the ends of his shirt and moved to pull it over his head. When it was gone, he returned to making eye contact with her. He would not look away from her, wanting to memorize the soft expressions on her face as she looked at him.

"Where?" Lazulie asked again, and he grabbed her hand gently, and placed it over his heart. Instantly, her blue eyes snapped to his. She kneeled before him to get a better look, her eyes finding the tiny lettering of her name. His breath caught again when she kissed the letters. This was new territory, and he didn't know if he was ready to explore what that meant. But when her eyes returned to his, smoldering like blue fire, he pulled her up to crush his lips to hers. 

After that night, Llyr began finding her symbol next to his carvings of her name. And the looks the crew gave him made him smile slightly at their teasing. Lazulie was not afraid of claiming him this way. The ocean was theirs, and she would raise storms at anyone who dared to question her affection for him. 


	7. The Arrival

**The Arrival**

When she first laid eyes on the sopping mess left at her front door, Crow wasn't quite sure if the girl was one of the living, or like herself and was very much dead. It didn't seem to matter, though, the Shadow Beast was quite insistent that the girl be taken care of one way or another. 

So that's what she did. Or tried to, really. Crow didn’t really know what the girl- who was clearly alive, now that she noticed the red that flushed her cheeks- needed. Warmth for one. And possibly some tea. She saw the crate by the stove in the corner of her eye, and remembered that living, breathing beings needed sustenance in order to survive. It was a good thing that the ship captain, Steve Ho, and his crew came by every month and dropped off a small crate of food. Obviously she gave most of it away as she couldn’t eat it herself, but Ronan ate some of it- though she didn't know how as he was dead as well...maybe he was a different kind of dead- but there were only two small potatoes left. Crow grabbed them and then hovered in the kitchen, thinking.

How did one cook such things? 

With some serious brain prompting, Crow was able to cook them somewhat, though she didn't think they looked very appetizing. And she didn't have anything really to garnish them, but the girl seemed to be still in shock and ate them without complaint. 

The girl needed new clothes. She was dripping water  _ everywhere.  _ Crow found her one of the things Steve had dropped off for her years ago- it was much too big and little moth eaten, but it was better than nothing. She would find the girl different clothing tomorrow, but for now--

A bee buzzed in her face, and she raised an eyebrow.  _ Beegan,  _ it seemed to say.  _ Her name is Beegan. She needs help! _

Crow found herself smiling a little. 

They were hesitant with each other, but Crow didn't expect anything less. She learned that Beegan is what the bees called  _ Harley _ . She liked Beegan better. After Beegan and Ronan went searching for sea glass, her little crow and her guest seemed to be on better terms now. Which was a good thing- Crow had been about to wring both of their necks from the incessant noise.

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. Four months, to be exact, not that Crow was counting. The two women were quiet with each other and Crow avoided questions like the plague, so conversation was usually sparse. 

Before Harley had arrived, Crow did not realize how lonely she had been. Sure, she had Ronan and occasionally Steve and his crew, but having someone who was constantly there- alive- was different. The day Harley finally realized that Crow was  _ not  _ alive had been surprising, really. It wasn't like Crow hid that fact, exactly, but she had never given the girl anything to believe otherwise.

"You're...well, you're a ghost, then?"

"Does this bother you?" Crow whispered in return, her voice airy and light. 

Harley shook her head. Crow couldn't remember the rest of the conversation. Questions were involved and she didn't want to remember. 

Crow pulled a gasping Harley out of the water and back onto the dock before the battered and broken dingy could smash her against the rocks. "What were you thinking?" Crow hissed at her, eyes narrowing. 

Harley took in another deep breath and moved wet, auburn hair out of her face before meeting Crow's gaze. "Trying to leave this place," she answered, her voice no more than a croak from all the water she'd swallowed. 

"You cannot swim, Beegan. If you wanted to leave, I could have sent for Steve!"

"I thought that-"

"No."

Harley rolled her eyes and managed to sit up on her own, "I don't think I should stay here anymore. You don't want me here-"

"I never said that."

"You didn't have to! You're always so cold and you never answer any of my questions! What am I supposed to think? I've been here for almost five months and  _ nothing  _ has happened!" 

Crow pursed her lips, "You made a deal with the Fallen One, Beegan. I did not take you to be the kind of person to break your vow. In response to my behavior, I will apologize. However, I am not human. I am dead. I do not walk this world the same way you do. I respect your privacy, and I expect you to respect mine. I am not used to questions, little bee. I have been without a constant companion for almost 2000 years and I don't know what to do."

"Two thousand-- oh, Crow, I didn’t know," Harley said, biting her bottom lip. Crow shook her head and smiled sadly. "I'm sorry that I ask so many questions. I just...the deal I made...I guess I'm just trying to find out why the Beast wanted  _ me  _ for the job."

Crow let out a sad sigh, "The Fallen One has many secrets and not all of them he shares with me. But…" she sighed again, looking out towards the ocean. "I am on a quest."

Harley perked up at that, "A quest! Will you tell me?"

Crow pulled the halfling to her feet and pushed her towards their cottage, "After you are dry and have eaten."

"Crow--"

"I will not tell you otherwise, little bee."

"Fine."

Crow smiled at her and watched as the girl tried to race Ronan back to the cottage as she held her soaking dress up to her hips so she could run. The ocean waves lapped at the dock and they called to her, but Crow ignored them for the first time in her life. She could feel the change in the air. 

She had finally found one of them. One of the ones who would restore balance and peace to the world. Crow made eye contact with the Shadow Beast in the distance. He nodded at her before turning and walking away. Maybe answering a few questions wouldn't be too bad.


	8. The Rescue

**The Rescue**

*10 years before Harley & Crow meet

**if Steve is currently in his early 40s, then he would have been about 25ish in this story?

  
  


Crow was scouring an old temple for clues to her fate when she first heard the screams. The young man and his seagull familiar basically ran straight into her and Ronan as he tried to get away from the swarm of bats that were chasing him through the decrepit corridors. If it wasn't for his more broad facial features, he would have reminded her a lot of Llyr. As it was, she couldn't ignore his less than graceful entrance. He had grabbed her arm and pinned her to the wall with his body as the bats flew through the hallway screeching. She glared at the strange man the entire time while Ronan, her little crow, sat on his head.

When the bats passed he stepped away from her with a cheeky smile, Ronan still perched on his head while his seagull squawked at him from the man's shoulder, "I'm sorry, Miss--?"

She glared at him harder when he gave her a once over and his cheeky smile turned into something else. She raised her chin higher, and replied, "I am the Crow Witch. My friend on your head is Ronan."

"The Crow Witch, huh? You can give me your name, little lady, I don't bite," the man teased.

Crow's glare turned deadly, "A man who does not even introduce himself does not deserve to know a lady's name. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have research to be doing." And with that, she turned away, holding her arm out for Ronan to land on, only her familiar did not come to her silent call. The man shrugged at her in a helpless manner as he tried to coax her little bird down from his head. "Ronan," she scolded, but he only chirped at her. Crow frowned. 

This was unlike him. He hadn't behaved this way in...well, in almost two thousand years. Not since...not since Llyr. She and her little crow had both been in love with that man in their own way. And now here he was, acting similarly. 

"I'm sorry I lost my manners back there, Miss Crow. My name is Steve Ho," the man said sheepishly when it was clear that she wasn't leaving anytime soon. She quirked an eyebrow at that.

"Like  _ heave ho?" _

"No," he said, eyebrows scrunching up in confusion, "It's  _ Steve Ho." _

_ Oh, so he's an idiot as well,  _ Crow mused. She shot her little bird a look, and then sighed. "What are you searching for, Steve?"

"A ship."

" _ A ship,"  _ she repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," he nodded. "I...well, it sounds strange, but I think the ocean wants me to become a Captain. I've been a sailor since I was sixteen, and I think I'm ready for something else."

She knew from personal experience that ignoring the ocean’s call was impossible. "Fine, I will help you," she told him quietly. "One does not ignore the ocean, but pray tell, why in the world are you so far from it? We're inland, in a  _ temple." _

"Oh!" he chuckled, and then pulled out a crinkled map from his pockets. "I'm following the clues!"

She stared at him blankly.

And then held out her hand.

Once he handed the map over, Ronan finally flew off of his head and onto her shoulder. His seagull familiar made chirping noises that sounded like  _ mine  _ to her ears and she giggled a little at the creature. The map was  _ old.  _ Not as old as her, but old enough. "If I help you find your ship, will you let me have this map?"

He raised an eyebrow and then nodded hesitantly. "I guess? That's all a pretty thing like you would want? I could probably--"

"No."

"You don't really say much, do you, Miss Crow?" Steve teased. "Ah, it makes no difference. You have a deal!"

She didn't respond and started walking. 

"Wait! Where are you going? I said we have a deal," he said jogging slowly next to her.

"And now you follow," she said blandly, blinking up at him. He felt blush rise in his cheeks as her pretty blue eyes looked at him, but she also seemed very distant- the kind of distant he had a feeling that he might never be able to reach. Didn't mean he couldn't try.

  
  


She should've known that this man was a talker. He just kept talking and talking. And  _ beasts,  _ the flirting! It was atrocious! She didn't know what she expected from a sailor, but she didn't think she'd have taken someone's fancy. Crow looked sick half the time, and she was beyond distant. She was cold, both physically and mentally. She never answered any questions. Why anyone would keep trying was beyond her. 

But at least Ronan seemed to like this Steve. 

And once they got on the water, she knew why the ocean wanted more from him. And she very much liked the surprised look on his face when she showed just how much she knew about running a boat. 

"How did you know that's what the sails needed?" Steve asked her one night after a long day of battling uneasy waves. She had assured him that they were on the right track if things were trying to stop them, but he seemed dubious. 

Crow blinked at him, lapis blue eyes reflecting the sunset behind him. And then she said the most peculiar thing and nothing more, "I used to be a Captain."

Steve eventually stopped asking too many questions after that. Crow's eyes were distant in an unusual way, and when she  _ did  _ answer his questions, her answers unnerved him. There was something about her that didn't sit right. And then, when she wasn't busy surprising him with her knowledge of boats (however dinged and battered they might be), Crow was often by the rails of his sad ship, her head cocked to the side as if listening to something. She was always staring at the ocean, and her familiar- Ronan, as she called him- was always watching her. 

And at night, he had dreams about a girl with hair the color of ravens wings in the sun and eyes bluer than the ocean itself. He dreamt of her with a crown on her head and an army behind her. He dreamt of the ocean and shadow, and awoke every time breathing hard- like he had fallen from somewhere high and didn't land- just as the sun rose in the sky and Crow's familiar squawked at him from the stairs. 

When they reached their destination, Steve almost wished he hadn't embarked on his quest for Captain-hood in the first place, but the ocean’s song in the back of his mind bid him to keep moving forward. 

And he did.

Right into some sort of ancient trap.

He saw the shadows swirling on the ground before he heard the sound of large wings overhead, kicking up a dust storm. Steve looked around for Crow, only to find her staring at it with a strange look on her face. As he looked at her, he was reminded of some of his dreams. Of the girl with the crown. The one with a sword and giant shadow wings emerging from her back as she stepped out of some sort of forest. Steve forced himself to look at the ground. 

Crow narrowed her eyes at the creature. This was the same one she had fought over two thousand years ago when she had rescued Ronan from its clutches in the woods. The same one she had  _ vanquished.  _ She knew, then, that the ship Steve was looking for, was special somehow. Of course, it did have its own treasure map, but she hadn't put much thought into why. 

The creature let out a deafening screech and moved so quickly that neither Steve or Crow knew what was going to happen next. It grabbed for him, and he was too late to move away as its talons wrapped around his arm and flew off with him. He remembered Crow's eyes, wide, as if she had not expected for it to go for  _ him.  _ And then her mouth was moving and purple light exploded around her as she let out a screech of her own, Ronan circling around her, his eyes gleaming. 

She was simultaneously the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and the most terrifying. 

He didn't know quite what happened next. The giant shadow creature dropped him in some sort of spindly nest as it went to confront the sorceress, thorns catching his sides as he was deposited. He landed with a grunt as he felt his own familiar trying to locate him through their link.  _ Steve Steve Steve.  _ Joe was a worry wart, but now he had apt reason to be. Never before had Steve gotten into so much trouble than he did after he had met Crow. 

He managed to climb to the top of the nest, his forearms lightly bleeding, and Steve watched as Crow produced a shadow sword from nowhere and launched herself at the creature with another cry. She managed to drive the shadow sword into its heart and it let out the most painful wail he had ever heard. More purple colored magic flooded the area, and wrapped itself around him, dragging him from the nest and he landed with an oomph at her feet, Joe landing next to him more softly, but just as confused. 

_ Well done,  _ a voice whispered in the void. Steve did not think the sentiment was meant for him. Crow seemed un-bothered by it, so he chose to say nothing. 

"Come on," the girl said quietly. "We're almost there."

"How do you know?"

"I can feel it."

What she meant was that a few steps away was a large hole in the ground with a small path leading to a cavern. A cavern which held the most gorgeous ship he had ever seen. When they finally reached the bottom, Steve ran to the edge of the water, wading into it, as he stared at the glorious ship in front of them. 

Crow stood on the bank, feeling cold.

She knew that ship. 

She knew it as well as she knew Ronan and Llyr and the ocean.

_ Because it was hers.  _

How had it survived? She was too caught up in all of her own questions that she didn't even notice Steve racing back to her in order to spin her around. Crow let out a squeak as she was suddenly lifted from the ground and she had no idea how she managed to stay solid. He spun her around laughing and whooping, and she stared at him bugged eyed. And then just as quickly he set her down and tried to move in for a kiss.

Ronan flew in between them at the last second and screeched his displeasure at the sailor. "Sorry!" Steve said over and over. "Caught up in the moment, that's all. This ship is gorgeous, Miss Crow! How long do you think it's been here?"

Her gaze moved back to her ship. She listened to the waves lapping at its sides and smiled. 

"Go, Captain Steve. It's waiting for you," Crow told him. "Take good care of it."

And when he turned around to look at her, she was gone.

When they met again, five years later, she had not aged a day. He thought maybe she aged well. But when the years continued to pass, it became clear to Steve that he was now involved in something far more important than he'd first thought. And when he caught her staring at the ocean forlornly, he let her. 

Because in the Captain's quarters, carved into the top of the desk, was a name-  _ Lazulie- _ and a small crow symbol. And in his heart of hearts, he knew that girl in his dreams and the sad one standing on his deck, were one and the same. 


	9. Harley & Ronan Make Art

**Harley & Ronan Make Art**

Crow had left on a secret mission that morning. Steve and his crew had picked her up at the rotting port on Umbra Island- no questions asked, as usual- and Harley and Ronan were left behind. Crow did this sometimes. But at least now she made some brief explanation before she disappeared. 

But here they were, just a halfling and a...half-dead crow? She wasn't entirely sure what Ronan was. Crow was dead, that was for sure, but Ronan seemed to be more lively than their mutual friend. 

Ronan was restless whenever Crow wasn't nearby. He flew around as if pacing, and snapped his beak at her fingers before staring intensely at her and flying off into the rafters. This time, however, he flew out the open window towards the beach.

Beelinda and Colbee whispered in her ear.  _ He's not well. Follow. Beegan is good at helping.  _ Harley let out a sigh and tugged on her boots before heading out the cabin door. She found him by the ocean- he and Crow were so similar, they always went to the same place. Harley watched as the little bird stared at the ocean and then suddenly hopped to his left and snatched some sea glass out of the sand, his black eyes gleaming with what she could only assume was pride. She didn't know how long she watched him, but when the bees buzzed in her pocket she was suddenly aware that Ronan was watching her again. 

Tentatively, Harley made her way towards him. On the sand, away from the water, was a portrait of two people. Ronan had made a mosaic of sea glass and rocks and shells, and had drawn lines with a stick that he still held between his beak. She recognized Crow, or Lazulie, she supposed, but she didn't recognize the other. It was a man, and from how sea-glass Crow and Ronan looked at him, Harley knew that it was supposed to be Llyr. 

Ronan squawked at her, the stick now out of his mouth. The bees buzzed again and Beelinda whispered:  _ He wants something blue.  _ Colbee repeated, and the others followed. 

"Blue?" Harley asked him, her left auburn eyebrow raised in question. Ronan hopped around excitedly and Harley grinned at him as he started to make little noises. She looked around her, but did not see anything that the little bird would like to use in his project. And then she remembered. "Ro, I'm going to run back to the cottage, okay? I'll be right back!"

He cawed at her and continued to hop around his creation. Her feet hit the sand and she ran towards the cottage as fast as she could. A while ago, Crow had come back with trinkets for Harley. The sorceress did that sometimes. But there had been two rings with lapis lazuli's that she had received and had forgotten about until now. She didn't really wear rings, but all of Crow’s gifts decorated her room no matter what they were.

She grabbed them and ran out the door again, not bothering to shut the door and listened to the bees' laughter and buzzing coming from her pocket. Ronan was adding more things- a background from the looks of it, but Llyr seemed more bright than the last time she saw the portrait. He squawked excitedly at her once she was near enough. Harley could see why Crow- Lazulie- had fallen in love with him. Ronan had done his hair justice, too, and whatever that cocky grin was. When Crow saw this, she'd probably go bright red again and the thought made Harley smile. It was nice seeing her friend be more...alive? 

She pulled the rings from her pocket and Ronan took them gratefully. He smashed the rings against a nearby rock until the stones fell out and then he placed them where Crow's eyes were. And then he hopped back to Harley and cocked his head to the left before looking back at the art masterpiece he had created.

"What is this?" Crow's voice said from behind them, appearing out of nowhere. She had a bag in one hand and some sort of trunk behind her. 

Ronan flew up to land on her shoulder and nuzzled her hair, which was once again billowing in a non-existent wind. Harley smiled up at her. "Ronan made this," she told the dead princess, gesturing to the portraits. Crow did not turn bright red like Harley had expected, but she did see her bottom lip quiver. Harley stood, reaching out to touch Crow's arm in comfort. "Crow, are you alright?" 

"Yes...yes, I'm fine. He made this?"

"Took all afternoon, but yeah! I didn't know he was so talented. And now I know what kind of man swept you off your feet! He's quite the catch," she teased. 

Crow managed a small smile and then sat down, pulling her knees close to her chest. Ronan stayed on her shoulder, his head pressed against hers and Harley smiled sadly before letting them have some time alone.

  
  



	10. The Meeting

**The Meeting (Or In Which Harley Makes An Assumption)**

  
  


Crow was pinching the top of her nose between her thumb and forefinger as Harley danced about their shared room throwing things into a bag. Today was the day when Crow finally introduced Beegan to Captain Steve, and she was absolutely dreading it. 

The Captain had some idea that Crow was taking care of someone, but she had wanted to shield the both of them from each other in some attempt to keep parts of her life separate. It seemed, however, that those parts were finally colliding and Crow would have to accept whatever consequences there were. She let out a heavy sigh as Harley tossed her her adventuring cloak and put it on while her friend closed up the bag.

"Are you ready?"

Harley beamed up at her, "Yes!"

Crow nodded and then turned away, heading for the front door. As soon as Harley, and Ronan, and the bees had exited, she shut the door firmly behind her and let a spell fall over it to be safe. She could feel Harley’s eyes on her but ignored the silent question and started to walk towards the dock. 

The ship could be seen briefly in the distance, floating just outside of the magic fog that covered this island. A rowboat sat docked and Captain Steve could be seen surveilling the ocean. 

"It's some nice weather we're having Miss Crow," the Captain said, his voice gruff but held mischief in its tone. He turned to face them with a grin and sunlight backing him. 

Harley’s eyes had gone wide, and her mouth gaped open like a fish momentarily before the bees pushed it closed with a group effort. Crow ignored her.

"So it seems, Captain," Crow replied evenly. 

"Who's your friend?" he asked, raising a scarred eyebrow. 

"This is Beegan," Crow smiled. 

The Captain raised his other eyebrow at her display of small affection. He'd known the reclusive sorceress for years and she was always elusive with her emotions. Steve let his gaze fall to the halfling, taking in her auburn hair and wide eyes and the bag she carried on one shoulder. She was a pretty little thing, but he had a feeling that Crow would kill him in more ways than one if he even dared to flirt with her. "Beegan?" he teased, flashing the girl another grin. He noticed Crow's warning glare and dialed it down a notch.

"Harley, actually, but that's what...um...what Crow calls me," she said. He noticed that she shifted one side further from his view and he pretended like he didn't see her stuffing flowers in her pocket while Ronan- who sat on Crow's shoulder- cawed softly at the ground.

"Miss Crow has a way with people," the Captain teased again. Crow's frown grew deeper and he let out a belly laugh. "Alright, alright, where to this time?"

Crow handed him the bag Harley had been carrying and lowered herself into the rowboat. "You know the drill, Captain. The ocean will tell me," she said, watching the waves. The crewman who came with Steve nodded his hat at her and she nodded politely back.

"Oh thank the beasts, she's not just like that with me," Harley laughed softly. 

The Captain smiled at her, knowing all too well how Crow could be, and then they were headed back to the ship. Harley held Crow's arm in a death grip, but the sorceress didn't seem to mind. He wondered what was so special about this new companion that made this time so different. He'd soon find out.

  
  


Harley nudged Crow's side as the sorceress stared blankly at the dark ocean. It was already nightfall, and the crew was busy lighting lanterns. "So…." Harley started coyly. "You didn't tell me that the Captain was handsome."

"Is he?"

"Well, I mean, to some, I suppose, but he, uh...I just thought that since he came to see you all the time that you might be…"

Crow turned to look at her, eyebrows creased in confusion. "That I might be what?"

"I thought that maybe you liked him."

"Of course I like him," Crow scoffed. She wouldn't trust him otherwise. And he was the best Captain she'd seen in a long while. One of the only ones left who paid proper respect to Skelligan. 

Harley did not see it like that. She giggled and then twirled off somewhere and Crow rolled her eyes. A pair of boots scraped on the deck behind her and she turned slightly to acknowledge their presence. 

"I thought you traveled alone," Steve said.

"I did."

"What's different now, then?"

Crow sighed and looked back towards the waves, "The difference is that my quest is coming to an end. I've found one of the chosen ones."

"Harley is one of them?" Steve asked quietly, taking a sip of rum from his flask. "She's so young."

"Change is found in the hearts of the young, Captain. We must rely on that for your future."

"Don't you mean  _ our _ ?"

She smiled sadly at him over her shoulder, "You know very well what I meant, Captain. You should trust your heart like a good sailor. The ocean does not lie, I know you've heard it whisper secrets. It's told me some about you, Steve. It's why I trust you."

"Crow, I'm not sure that whatever your planning is going to work," he replied softly. Her curly black hair billowed in the wind along with her dress, and he saw flashes of who she once was from a lifetime ago. He swallowed thickly and looked away from the sorceress. 

"Whatever happens, look after Harley for me, Steve. Please? She doesn't know it yet, but there's something coming. Something I might not be able to protect her from," Crow whispered so quietly he almost didn't hear her. 

He surprised himself by letting out a hearty laugh and clasping her shoulder- ignoring the fact that for a brief moment she wasn't solid- and said, "Don't be silly, Miss Crow! I'm sure everything will sort itself out. Now how about some rum!" 

The crew cheered and Harley let out a sound that had both Crow and Steve turning to look at the halfling. 

"What?" she called. "I like a good rum!"

Crow let out an exasperated sigh and turned back towards the ocean. Steve, on the other hand, managed to make himself walk away from the dead princess before he got sucked into her melancholy again. One day...maybe...he would tell her what he knew. But for now- he let out a sigh of his own before joining the party- for now he would continue to pretend that he knew nothing. Afterall, this wasn't the first time he had seen Crow act differently. This wasn't the first time he would have to save her- their- asses if her quest took a nose dive too south. But he owed her a life debt, and he would pay her back in full.


	11. Crow & the Dream

**Crow & the Dream**

When she first became Crow, the Shadow Beast was very strict with her. On some deep, internal level she knew that she had made a deal with the Beast to become The Crow Witch, but sometimes, when she was lost in her memories, Crow forgot she was dead.

Those first few years were the most difficult. Having to see what the world had become after her father had destroyed it all when he had fired the Beast Weapon did things to a person whether they were dead or not. She was so angry all the time.

Another terrible thing about being newly dead and a ghost was that while she remembered everything, she was also forgetting. As time went on, she couldn’t remember what it was like to be warm, or what Llyr's eyes looked like when he smiled cheekily at her. She couldn’t remember how snotty Talia's voice sounded when she wanted something or how she...how she was going to propose to the love of her life. How she died.

But at least she had Ronan.

She had asked the Beast why.

He had stared at her, his black eyes intense, when she was suddenly hit with the realization that Ronan was a part of the Shadow Beast. He was her animal companion, she had earned him, fought for him! They were bonded- he was a part of her very soul- and not even death could separate that.

So she spent most of her days sitting on the beach of Umbra Island, far away from her father's ghost, staring at the ocean. She hadn't even realized that she'd slipped into some sort of trance, though she was vaguely aware that the Shadow Beast was watching. This was another test. Part of her wanted to fail it.

The beach scene played out in her head. They had been attacked, but instead of like before, she had sent Ronan out to scout before they docked. They were prepared. They won. Llyr was bruised and bloody, and she kissed him in front of the entire crew as they cheered at them.

She couldn't wait until they got back to Tnacea, and so she had them married on her ship. It was better that way. They both loved the freedom of the sea, and her crew was as good as family. They would ask for her father's forgiveness later. For now, she wanted this.

The dream skipped forward in time, and Llyr was seated next to her on the throne. Her father had passed the year before. It was her job to care for her people and her siblings. For her growing family. She reached for Llyr's hand and he gave it a squeeze, their rings pinching each other's skin.

There was a dark presence behind her, but she ignored it. Just a little longer. Please. And then she was holding her daughter. Watching as the little girl was thrown in the air by her father. Watched as she grew and was joined by a brother, watched as they both turned towards her and gave her a version of Llyr's grin, eyes squinty. Her stomach flipped.

But the darkness grew heavier.

Tnacea was attacked. Revenge.

Llyr died on the battlefield with her screaming next to him. Except this time, she didn't get to die with him. Ronan was left in the mud where he had fallen. Her men forcefully dragged her back to the castle kicking and screaming for the both of them.

They did not win the war.

The Beasts disappeared.

And Lazulie was left alone.

"Wake up, little bird," the Shadow said. "Wake up."

"Uncle?"

"Little bird," the voice said again, and she opened her eyes.

The ocean greeted her gaze, and she felt tears threatening to fall, but knew none would come. She turned to look at the Shadow Beast, Ronan perched on an antler.

"Am I not to have happiness in any life?" she asked it.

"Your fate is what you are now. The world can be mended, but only if you follow what is left of your heart. What would Llyr tell you?" the Beast said, cocking its giant dog-like head to the side.

Crow stared at it stony faced and then turned back to the ocean. "He would tell me to do the right thing. He would tell me that if the world needs me, that he would wait until I could come back to him," she responded quietly.

"Are you willing to wait for as long as it takes, little bird?"

"This will be my last act as Princess Lazulie, Fallen One. I thank you for this second chance, to right my father's wrong, but I can do no more than this," she whispered sadly. "Once I have succeeded, Ronan and I have a date to catch."

The Beast snorted behind her, "I'm sure Llyr will be happy to see you. And proud."

He left Crow on the beach watching the water. She had never wanted to cry more than she had then, but one day this pain will have been worth it.

And when she looked at Harley and Steve as the two argued in the tavern over the best bar food, she found herself smiling, a warmth she had forgotten filling her cold veins. And somewhere, on the other side of the veil, Llyr was smiling too.


	12. The Ball

**The Ball**

Lazulie had tried to convince her father that this ball was unnecessary, but he had insisted on it. Something about decorum….and he may have also informed her that he had given her a few months to bond with her familiar after earning him, but now it was time for celebration. And every eligible prince and lord across the nations had been invited. 

" _ Just in case you'd like some options," the King had said. _

_ Lazulie had stared at her father bug eyed, her hands in fists, before turning away from him and walking out of the throne room with her teeth clenched.  _

_ She could still hear her father and her Uncle's laughter echoing as she left them to scheme. _

And now here she was, getting dressed in a beautiful gown. She would much rather be wearing armor or her Captain clothes, but Lazulie couldn't lie and say she didn't enjoy dressing up now and again. She would also be lying if she said she didn't like the way Llyr looked at her when she wore such gowns. Their confessions had happened three months after she had found Ronan, and it had been two months since the confessions. Lazulie enjoyed their quiet moments when no one was looking, but they were still cautious in the greater public. Especially with all the gossip of the upper classes. Her crew knew, but since Llyr was hopeless and had carved her name literally  _ everywhere,  _ there had been no hiding it. 

She gazed at herself in the large mirror as one of her lady's maids tightened the dress before stepping away and smiling at her. The gown flared off at her hips, trailing behind her in layers of dark blue chiffon and little golden stars. The corset made her look tinier than she actually was, which was saying something as she wasn't very big to begin with. Llyr often teased her that she'd float away if the wind blew too hard, and she would roll her eyes at him. She may have been tiny, but she was lean with muscle. She used her size to her advantage in battle. But looking at herself in the mirror, flowy pieces of fabric covering the freckles on her upper arms, Lazulie looked like a common damsel in distress. And when her lady's maid placed the golden halo crown featuring stars and moons on her head, she felt like this night was less about celebrating and more of her father making a statement. A statement for what, she wasn’t quite sure, but she knew that it was going to cause her trouble. 

After having gold lightly dusted across her pale skin, she was led from her quarters to the party where she met Llyr at the doors.  _ Beasts, he had dressed up for this.  _ He was wearing a dress coat the same color as her dress, the buttons gold. He had left his hair out of his warrior's ponytail and had slicked it back into something mimicking the other men at the party. The thought irritated her, having him all cleaned up for this farce of a celebration. Why should he? She liked him looking a little rough around the edges. She liked the surprise on peoples faces when they realized they should be more worried about her, the one who  _ would- _ and did- stab without warning. 

He offered her his arm, and she gladly took it. Together, they entered the ballroom, and braved the stare of everyone in attendance. If her mother had been alive, she would have tisked at the way her unruly black curls seemed to hang in her face. Once the doors closed behind them and she was introduced to the eagerly awaiting crowd, Llyr removed himself from her. She knew this had been coming. He knew that this was a dance of potential suitors. And even though she had assured him that he was all her heart craved, wanted, and needed, he was stepping back in respect to his King. She scowled at that. She would rule this kingdom one day as Queen-  _ she would choose who she kept by her side, not her silly father.  _

Lazulie was swept up into the party before she knew it. And after one dance with a distant cousin- one whose hand kept slipping a little too low- she made it a point to refuse any suitor, be it prince or lord. She danced with her sisters and her brother, but her eyes kept wandering back to Llyr. Llyr who looked so handsome. Llyr who kept attracting both the eyes of men  _ and  _ women. She was suddenly overcome with the urge to mark him publicly, in a way that was less subtle than the lovesick tattoos that adorned his skin. 

She was no stranger to jealousy, but this was new. Lazulie pursed her lips. This was going to be a problem- she could not do anything without first knowing of the statement her father wished to make. The King had said, years ago when Llyr had first become her guard, that she could marry him if he proved himself to the kingdom, to the people. Llyr had done that. But had her father changed his mind? She was so caught up in her thoughts that she did not notice the young man trying to get her attention. It wasn't until Pearl tugged on her hand that she noticed the man that she had already refused at least twice tonight. 

"May I help you?" Lazulie asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.  _ Daring  _ him to make a wrong move. 

He took the dare, spewing, "Princess Lazulie, I really do think it would be in your best interest to accept my invitation to dance."

A laugh sat quietly on her lips as she answered, "I must apologize, my Lord, but I do not have any interest in dancing with you. I thought I had made myself clear the last few times you asked, but it appears I was mistaken. I do hope that you do not embarrass yourself further by asking me again."

The man sputtered, red creeping from his neck up into his face. His dull green eyes bulged in anger, and Lazulie nodded curtly at him before turning away. Except that the imbecile grabbed her wrist, yanking her back towards him. Pearl let out a loud gasp as she held Lazulie's other hand. She could hear Ronan's angered squawk from above, the sound of his wings as he prepared to dive bomb the lord. She wrenched her arm from him, stronger than she looked. And then Llyr was there, decking the man to the ground. 

"I believe the Princess told you no," he hissed out, fists still clenched. He wasn't wearing his overcoat anymore, thrown to the ground somewhere. And his hair was back in his signature warrior style. But the look on his face, murderous- eyebrows knit in concentration, hazel-blue eyes narrowed in disdain- she had never been attracted to anyone more than she was in that moment.  _ Beasts.  _ This man was going to be the death of her. 

Pearl had managed to pull her away, a feat within itself as she was only eleven. But then Lazulie watched as Llyr was attacked on both sides by other lords and some princes- all of whom she had dismissed earlier in the night. She pulled away from her little sister, keen to come to his defense, but Kai, her little brother of seventeen, shook his head at her, muttering, "This is something that needs to be done, Lazulie."

She heard the clank of metal as the guards moved forward to put an end to the brawl, but her father's booming voice told them to watch. She met her father's eyes from across the ballroom, saw the playfulness and the sincerity. This was his statement. Llyr defending her honor was proof to the people that he was worthy. Respectful. Chivalrous. She hated to admit it, but this would win major points across the kingdoms once the story spread. 

Lazulie was not surprised when Llyr won the fight, even as outnumbered as he was. In his wake was a pile of groaning rich boys with blooming bruises. He was second under her Uncle in the army ranks, and besides herself, was her Uncle's prize student. When he turned back towards her, eyes meeting, fire igniting, and made his way towards her while he wiped blood from his lips, Lazulie could not look away. She heard her father shout, "Bravo!" and whistles and other applause from their guests, but she was too transfixed with Llyr to even notice that he was leading them outside towards the garden. 

When they were by her mother's blue hydrangeas, by the wall, Lazulie pulled back on his hold on her. He was clearly still highly strung from his fight. Twitchy. But there was a fire in her veins, and she wanted it to burn brighter. For beasts sake, his sleeves were rolled up, his expression still deadly. She wanted a taste.

Lazulie stepped closer to him and stood on her tippy toes, her hands on his chest, as she let her lips ghost over his own. His hands gripped at her hips, unsure if he wanted to push her away or pull her closer. This wasn't exactly new territory between the two of them, but this passion was different. This wasn't fueled by lovesick desire, but by something potentially more all-consuming. He heard the faint sound of Ronan's wings nearby and tried to tether himself to reality. 

Llyr pushed her away slightly, only to find himself backed into a wall, her right hand at the back of his neck, tilting it to the side, as her lips met the junction between his neck and shoulder. He let out a keening sound that made heat rush to his cheeks, and made her smile against his skin. She pulled away slightly after leaving an obvious mark- angry looking and red- watching him pant slightly, eyes glossed over in desire. She liked him that way.  _ Wanting.  _

"Llyr," she whispered, lips ghosting over his own again before leaning her forehead against his.

"Mmhm," he answered, his brain seeming to malfunction. She was full of surprises, though he had never expected this. Not even in his wildest dreams- not that he had  _ many  _ of those, exactly...okay that was a bit of a lie- but he had never expected her to find him attractive after he had beat a bunch of her potential suitors to a pulp. 

She giggled, breath fanning across his face. "Won't you kiss me?" she asked him, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief. 

"Is this a good idea?" he finally asked, finding his voice again, feeling his heart calm back down a little. She kept trying to move closer to him and he kept trying to ignore her. But the Princess was hard to ignore regardless of any situation. 

Her thumb brushed across the mark she had left affectionately and he sucked in a breath. Their eyes met. She had looked like this once before, when she had asked him where he had tattooed her name to his skin. That night had ended quite blissfully, if he remembered right. He still had little scars from her fingernails on his upper back to remind him. 

But Lazulie was a very private person. Something about tonight must have made her push that aside. "What's wrong?" Llyr breathed out, one of his hands moving to cup her cheek.

She leaned into his touch and smiled softly, eyes twinkling in the glow of the lanterns near them. "I just….I hated how you left me earlier. And I hated everyone who stared at you, their eyes wandering. I wanted to show them that you were mine," she all but whispered to him. "I was about to do just that when that asshole grabbed me. If it wasn't for Pearl, I would've decked him myself."

Llyr nuzzled her cheek, letting his arms wrap around her as he switched their positions. Together, they managed to hike up her dress so that her legs could wrap around his waist. "You know that I am already yours," he told her. "I bear your name on my heart." 

"In the moment, though...I wanted everyone to see, Llyr. I wanted to mark you," she replied softly, running her fingers over the mark on his neck again. He hummed against her skin in response. She pulled his head up so that their eyes met, and again she asked, "Will you kiss me now?"

"Can I mark you in return?"

Heat flared between the two of them, her blue eyes going wide and red flushed across her cheeks. She nodded at him, and almost squealed with joy as his lips finally met her own. 

They stayed that way against the garden wall until someone whistled at them. They pulled away laughing, and he helped set her down, smoothing out her skirts. She still had a determined look in her eyes and Llyr was sure that he would find out soon enough. He decided to walk her to her rooms before anyone else saw her. They passed giggling maids, and he couldn't help but notice Lazulie's proud expression. He caught sight of himself in one of the mirrors in the hall to her room. His hair was mussed up in all directions. Even though he had returned it to its normal look, it still had the oil in it to keep it styled. His tanned skin was never not going to be tinted with red after this night. How could he ever look her father,  _ the King _ , in the eyes again? 

He was going to force himself to bid her goodnight, but then she smiled at him, that sweet, enticing, very dangerous smile. Her lapis blue eyes burned with want, pulling him towards her without effort. And Llyr allowed her to lead him into her rooms and lock the doors behind them.

And after that night, for the next several days, Lazulie picked gowns that showed off the bruising marks he had left adorning her neck. The King only rolled his eyes, but after one meeting about their next mission, he had pulled Llyr aside.

"Thank you," the King said gruffly, and then left the counsel room. Sometimes it wasn't hard to tell that the King and Lazulie were related.

Lazulie had waited outside for him, her eyebrow raised in question, "What did he want?"

Llyr shook his head, and pecked her lips, "Nothing, Laz, absolutely nothing. Come on, let's go get ready for our next adventure. I'm sure the crew is eagerly awaiting the next story about their Captain."

"This is why they keep having bets about us, Llyr, you always exaggerate," she laughed, rolling her eyes. But there was a spark of teasing in her expression and he grinned at her.

"I think it's fun."

She laughed again, music to his ears. And as she twirled away from him, her lavender dress flowing behind her as she walked, Llyr touched her fading mark on his neck. Maybe he could get her to do it again.

  
  
  
  



	13. Llyr's Tale

**Llyr's Tale**

He was fifteen when he had first arrived at the castle. Llyr had come to the castle as part of a treaty between his father and the King. He was to receive training on how to be a knight for the kingdom, and Llyr was eager to prove himself. He had _not_ expected to rise to the top of the class as fast as he did, however. The General often brought his niece to watch the new recruits train, and he would admit that he liked having her watch him. She was pretty, in a somber kind of way. After a long day of training, sometimes he could only think about her eyes- so very blue, like a stormy sea- and Llyr would throw an arm over his eyes and try to think of something else.

As the months went on, he started to notice her more and more. And she started to notice him. She blushed crimson whenever he threw his sweat-soaked shirt to the ground after a particularly long spar with another recruit. She blushed even more when he shot her a grin. 

He made the mistake of asking the General about her. They were close enough in social standing that a match wouldn't be too out of reach. It was obvious that they both liked each other somewhat. A worse match could be made. But then the General cocked his head, eyebrow raising so high that Llyr almost thought it would reach his hairline. 

"My boy, Lazulie-" _her name was Lazulie, Beasts, just like the-_ "-is the Crown Princess of Tnacea."

His heart plummeted. The Princess. _Princess._ Of course she was. Llyr bowed his head in acknowledgement- and embarrassment- and turned to leave. He missed the way the General's expression turned from one of confusion to curiosity.

That October, the Princess turned fourteen, and in the Spring of the next year Llyr turned sixteen. The King met with him personally on his birthday. He was a tall man, broad shoulders, and large arm muscles. He wore a red velvet tunic that brought out his blue eyes and black hair. The painting shrouded in a black veil behind him showed Llyr the late Queen Hanelore, and from what he could see, Lazulie was a beautiful mix of the two. 

"You must be Llyr! I must apologize that I have not met with you sooner. Your father is quite proud of how you have handled yourself here, young man. My good friend, the General, has told me of your prowess with the sword," King Astra beamed. 

Llyr blushed slightly, the red creeping into his cheeks lightly. "Thank you, your Majesty," he said, bowing his head.

"I would like you to be my daughter's personal guard, Llyr."

His head snapped up, eyes wide, "I beg your pardon?"

The King let out a booming laugh, grinning, "Lazulie is skilled with the sword as well, but my daughter has new responsibilities that will keep her distracted. I wish for you to be her personal guard as she trains to take my place one day."

Llyr blinked at him, mouth gaping like a fish.

"Llyr, I will not take no for an answer. The General assures me that you are perfect for the job."

"Yes, sir. I would like to accept," Llyr said quietly. His heart was beating so fast, he could barely hear anything over the blood pounding in his ears. 

"Wonderful!" the King exclaimed. And as Llyr turned to leave, the King said one last thing: _happy birthday, Llyr._

* * *

When Lazulie found out, she had been furious. A few weeks later, he was guarding outside of her rooms when she appeared in the hallway out of nowhere. Her blue eyes were ablaze, and he was so enamored with her that at first he didn't realize that she was talking to him. _And she wasn't in her rooms. Beasts, he needed to pay attention!_

"You!" she hissed at him. "Sword. Training. Now."

"With you?"

Her blue eyes twinkled at him as she glanced over her shoulder at him, "Have a problem with that, pretty boy?"

His cheeks dusted over with bright red, and his lips parted slightly as she laughed and continued to walk away. Llyr grabbed the sword at his hip and ran after her.

He learned very quickly that Lazulie became more forward with her feelings the angrier she got. And he would be lying if he said he didn't do it on purpose during their training sessions. Her skill with a sword was undeniable, but when he got her talking? Beasts, he never wanted her to shut up. The more time he spent with her, the more he realized he liked her. _A lot._

Lazulie was so much more than just a Princess. So much more than a pretty face. If anything, she felt dangerous. And on the occasions that they did venture to the ocean, he knew immediately that she and it shared the same soul. When the time came, she would do the Kingdom of Tnacea a load of good. And though he knew he could not call her more than a friend, he had already devoted himself to protecting her until the day he died. 

But then she started to return his teasing. She was cautious about it at first, but she must have liked the reactions he gave her because she became more forward. Llyr had gotten in the habit of kissing her hand before she went to bed, which, he admitted, may not have been the best idea. Llyr liked the subtle pink that seeped into her pale skin, the way her eyes would shimmer in delight. Nothing could have prepared him for how her eyes looked that night. Mischievous and twinkling, the lapis blue of them darkening into something more. He almost fainted when she turned the tables on him and kissed _his_ hand instead. How was he ever supposed to sleep at night, now?

* * *

Today was the Queen’s death day. The entire castle was decked out in midnight, tiny sparkling stars floated the hallways like little orbs. It had been six years since Queen Hanelore had passed away from the Fever- the King had done everything in his power to make her better, but in the end, it had not been enough. The Astra siblings were huddled on the King’s bed as their father told them stories of before they were born, and Llyr stood guard by the door. He made eye contact with Lazulie and she smiled softly at him. Of all the siblings, Kai looked the most like her, though his eyes were green like their mother’s. Pearl and Talia had inherited Queen Hanelore’s soft red hair and the King’s blue eyes, but they all had the same nose. Looking at the four of them made Llyr miss his own sister. He hadn’t seen his family in quite some time, though he tried to write often. Witnessing the Astra family mourning their mother and wife, he made note that he should try to keep in touch more.

Later, after the feast in the Queen’s honor, he and Lazulie would take a walk through her mother’s garden. The moon flowers were in full bloom and the princess lingered near them before finding a bench in the back corner.

“Thank you,” she had whispered softly, her eyes soft in the candle-lamps overhead. 

Llyr cocked his head to the side, his grip on the sword at his hip tightening, “What for?”

“For just...for just being here. And not asking questions.”

He scoffed and rolled his eyes at her. Even if he did ask questions, Lazulie wasn’t likely to answer anything he asked. She looked towards the flowers again, and her gaze lingered on them before she sighed, her head tilting back to rest on her shoulders as her eyes focused instead on the night sky and the stars.

“My mother and I weren’t particularly close, but she was kind and caring and I know she loved us,” Lazulie said quietly. She let out a humming sound before continuing, “My father misses her the most. He does a good job of hiding his sadness, but the two of them really were two halves of a whole, you know. I don’t think he could take another loss...it would break him.”

Llyr sat down next to her, their legs brushing. “I think your father is stronger than he looks,” he told her softly.

Lazulie blinked, her lapis blue eyes reflecting swirls of stars, before she looked at him sadly and his breath caught in his throat, “We’d all like to think so, wouldn’t we?”

* * *

The day of her seventeenth birthday, the day she received her familiar, Llyr had wanted to kiss her on the beach in front of the crew. If it hadn't been for the whistling and cheering, he would have. When she had come out of those woods on the island, giant shadow wings emerging from behind her, he had wanted to drop to his knees in worship. His heart had stopped at the sight of her. _Dangerous._ Is that how he liked his women? Powerful enough- _dangerous enough-_ to put him in his place? _Unattainable?_

That night, as the crew settled into a bar-slash-inn for the night, he drunkenly asked a random stranger to tattoo her name in tiny blue letters underneath his heart. Telman shook his head the entire time, muttering, "Don't be stupid, boy." After that initial tattoo, he would later get several more on his upper body and arms in much more subtle ways of her claim on him.

And then two months after receiving Ronan, she had walked in on the maid kissing him. Llyr was still quite confused as to why the maid had done it. He had refused her advances for months, making it clear that his duty was to Lazulie and no one else. 

"You can't have her but you can have me!" the maid had sobbed, holding onto his forearms tightly. She had tears in her eyes and her face was red. He would have felt bad for her if this had been the first time.

Llyr attempted to move away from her, saying, "No, I--" and then she pulled his face down to hers, planting her lips over his own and then Lazulie walked in. _Because of course she did._

He could tell right away that she was angry. Upset. _He was upset! Beasts, this was aggravating._ But she had to know how he felt...right? She had to know! He didn't hide it. Not exactly. He pushed the maid away, his hazel blue eyes narrowed at her as he pushed past her towards the servants entrance to the courtyard. He knew Lazulie wouldn't let him inside her rooms through the doors. But he had to tell her how he felt. 

Llyr did not know why he climbed to her balcony in full armor. In hindsight, it was not a smart idea. But then he had kissed her, and suddenly he didn't care about anything else. They loved each other, even though the words were not spoken aloud. He stopped thinking when she kissed him again. 

* * *

Between what they had dubbed _The Ball Incident_ and their lives on the ship, he and Lazulie had a healthy relationship. He no longer tried to hide his lovesick carvings of her name, but it did take a lot of time before he convinced himself that this was real. That he was allowed to have this. What it really took- no matter how many times Lazulie reassured him of her thoughts and feelings- was a meeting with her father and the General. 

He had asked for the meeting. 

His stomach twisted in knots. This was it. 

He’d either be executed or asked to leave quietly. Or, by some miracles of the Beasts, he’d be allowed to stay. If that was the case, though, what was the catch? Lazulie was the Crown Princess, she was the heir to the kingdom of Tnacea, the first in line to the throne. He would never be allowed to marry her. To have a family.

His heart ached, but he pushed the doors to the throne room open anyway.

King Astra sat on his throne, the General at his side. They were muttering amongst themselves. When the doors swung open, they slowly turned his way as he approached them. The King raised a thick, black eyebrow at him, “Llyr, what brings you here today?”

“I have a confession to make, my King,” Llyr managed to breathe out. His tongue felt heavy and he wanted to turn away from this and forget it ever happened. 

“Oh?” the King asked, quirking his eyebrow higher.

Llyr closed his eyes and took a deep steadying breath before he answered, “I have entered into a romantic relationship with your daughter, Princess Lazulie, your Majesty. I...I thought it best to inform you, before things happened that I could not take back. I...I have told you so that you may do with me what you will.”

He did not expect both the King and the General to burst into hysterical laughter.

He blinked at the two of them in confusion before the King responded to his claims. Llyr watched as he wiped tears from his eyes. He couldn’t figure out what about this situation was so funny. 

“My boy,” the King started. “My daughter is capable of making her own decisions. She has chosen you, and I am no fool to cross paths with her anger. My only problem with this, Llyr, would be if this did not mean forever to you as it does to her.”

“What?! Of course it means forever to me! How could you--?” Llyr cut himself off, cheeks flaring red with anger and embarrassment. The King and General grinned at him. “Am I to believe that you are fine with this? I am...I am not even of noble birth from this Court, King Astra.”

“You have proved yourself more than worthy, Llyr of Tempestas, son of Alexei. Your deeds and faithfulness to this kingdom and the Princess are more than enough. Although I think your new title shall be Llyr of the Crow, no? You seem to have let my daughter lay claim to the very skin you walk in, my boy,” the King teased, chuckling as the young man tried to hide the tattoo peaking out of his armor at his neck. 

Llyr flushed again, and averted his gaze to the floor. 

“Perhaps this should be discussed with Lazulie,” the General spoke. “You clearly have some things that need to be spoken aloud, Llyr. Don’t keep her in the dark if you feel this way.”

“Yes, sir. I...thank you,” Llyr managed to mumble out. And then the two older men were escorting him outside of the throne room. Lazulie was waiting for him, leaning on one of the walls, her black curls tied up into intricate braids and her arms folded. She was wearing her Captain’s outfit.

The Princess nodded at her father and Uncle, and then she took Llyr's hand gently to lead him away. When they arrived at her rooms, she pulled him in and helped him to remove his armor. She was quiet, which wasn’t unusual, but usually he was the one talking to fill in the space. When the silver plated armor was in a neat pile on her floor, he stepped out of his boots and placed them next to his belongings. He saw himself in one of her mirrors. His tunic was loose on him, slightly slipping off towards his left shoulder, and the V of it dipped just below his pectorals. His trousers were more like leggings, clinging to him, and left nothing to the imagination. He dipped his head in shame, but then her fingers were reaching towards him, tracing the lapis lazulis and silver rings he wore on his ears. She brushed her cheek against his, and then led him towards her bed.

He was hesitant, but then she pulled him under the blankets and held him close. He didn’t even realize he was crying until she kissed the tears away.

He fell asleep like that.

When he woke, her hair was out of its braids, her messy curls spread across the pillow like a veil. Her eyelashes, long and lush, kissed the tops of her cheeks, where her freckles spackled the tops of them in the morning sun. Her breath was easy and slow, and when he caressed her face, a small smile appeared on her lips before she burrowed further into her pillow. 

It hit Llyr like a sack of bricks that he was more than in love, more than head over heels. He didn’t know if there was a word to describe his feelings, but he assumed it felt very much like looking at the sun and feeling its warmth. He assumed that how he felt was how Lazulie felt every time she gazed at the ocean and he felt his heart constrict. He let out a hum and moved closer towards her, burying his face in between her shoulder blades and wrapping an arm around her waist to draw her nearer. 

She smelled like lavender and the ocean and he was asleep again within minutes.

* * *

“If you keep looking at me like that, I’ll have to kiss you in front of everyone, Llyr,” Lazulie said, her voice low. She said it like a threat, but his blood thrummed at the thrill of such a thing. He really needed to get his priorities straight. 

“Bold of you to assume that that’s not what I want,” he retorted. 

Her blue eyes shot to his, narrowed and daring, “I need to focus on this and you know it. Go sit down somewhere.”

He let out a low chuckle and did as she had said. Currently, the Princess was in the middle of a chess game with her younger brother, Kai. His curly black hair was long enough now to be tied on the top of his head in a knot, his crown centered there. Lazulie had taken it upon herself to teach her brother strategy, but little did she know that he and Kai had made a bet.

_Could Llyr distract Lazulie from winning in return for the mint chocolates Lady Amalia made, or actual sword lessons with Llyr if Kai won of his own skill._

Llyr was honestly fine with either outcome. He came out of the deal winning whether Kai realized that or not. Afterall, he spent his nights in the Princess’s bed, a stash of those chocolates in the drawer on his side. But it would be a treat to train another of the Astra siblings. Lazulie had been a quick and effective learner, and he was curious to see what Kai had up his sleeves. 

As it turned out, the little bugger was quite good at deceit. Lazulie made a grumbling sound, and he watched as she begrudgingly moved one of her pieces to someplace on the board that she had not been planning. 

“Didn’t you say that battle was full of surprises, Lazulie?” Kai taunted.

She threw one of his captured pieces at his head and Kai ducked while letting out a maniacal laugh. “Just hush it, you,” she hissed. “You’re supposed to be learning and instead you’re improvising!”

“Maybe I’d learn something if you didn’t keep glancing at Llyr every ten seconds,” Kai shot back.

Lazulie narrowed her eyes, and then smirked. The glint in her eyes meant she was pleased with herself and Ronan cawed softly from her shoulder. “Checkmate,” she claimed, leaning back in her chair. 

“What!”

“Maybe if you paid more attention to your opponents and not your schemes, you’d have noticed. You have much to learn, dear brother,” Lazulie smiled, booping Kai’s nose. 

Kai groaned and Llyr couldn’t help but laugh softly to himself. He caught her gaze from across the room, felt blood rush to his cheeks as she gave him a sensual smile and then stuck her tongue out at him. He laughed louder at that, grinning as she boasted her win, twirling around with Ronan making little sounds from his perch on his mistress' shoulder. 

_Beasts, he loved her._

* * *

When they docked on the shore of that island- _Beasts, it was supposed to be a diplomatic mission-_ no one had expected it to be an ambush. Most of their men and the crew were killed instantly and the others were no match, at least not for long. And then Ronan was shot out of the sky- her screams echoed in his ears, full of pain and anguish. He had never heard the princess sound so...broken. Llyr felt his body moving towards her familiar, his sword clashing and slashing as he made his way across the beach. Her pain was increasingly more evident in her cries and he knelt by the water to scoop up her little crow, his hands shaking. 

If they survived this, he wasn't sure how Lazulie would ever recover from losing her familiar. Ronan was everything he couldn't be for her. He was an extension of herself, and now that he was gone...Llyr feared that Lazulie would close herself off from the world.

He didn't have to think too long about it, however- the sounds of battle came rushing back to him the moment his back was pierced with several arrows. Llyr grunted, slouching forward, Ronan still held tightly in his grasp. He tried to get up, but there was someone behind him, someone kicking him into the sand and pinning him there. There was blood in his mouth, sand. It was hard to think.

_Where was--?_ Her name was stuck on his tongue and it wouldn't come out.

He could see Lazulie being restrained now, her black curls wild as she tried to shake her captors off. The blue of her eyes was stunning, even at this distance. If he had been in better shape, he might have recognized that they were glowing, that something was terribly wrong. The last thing he heard was the heartbreaking shout of his name, and the last thing he saw was a burst of powerful shadow magic. Something in the back of his mind registered this new turn of events- he somehow managed to bark out a laugh, the last sound he’d make. Black, wispy wings erupted from between Lazulie's shoulders, and a flood of purple encased him before his own light went out.

He didn’t expect to still feel her after he had passed into the spirit realm. It was almost overwhelming, to feel her newly awakened power. But within minutes her presence was also snuffed out, and he felt the loss of her energy severely. 

For a short time, the three of them- Llyr, Lazulie, and Ronan- were together in the spirit realm. Both of them were sad, but Lazulie had gripped his hand tightly in reassurance. "I'm sorry," she had said. 

"Don't be," he had whispered back, cupping her cheek in his rough hands, wanting to somehow convince her that this wasn't her fault. 

But he could see the guilt in her eyes, the regret that she had failed and now her kingdom was at war. He saw the fire in her eyes as she watched her father, the King, make the most grievous decision of all. When he created the Beast Weapon, Llyr was sure that Lazulie was going to explode with anger.

And then the Shadow Beast made a proposition. He remembered the way she had looked at him, sad and angry...and _asking._ Llyr nodded his head at her, and she gave him a fierce kiss before leaving him alone. 

And for two thousand years he awaited her return. He watched as she forgot parts of herself and struggled to stay on the physical plane of existence. He watched as she struggled to find her purpose. Watched as she struggled to tell the difference between the living and the dead. Watched as she forgot _him_ for a time.

It hurt his spirit to see her in pain and fighting with herself. But at least she had Ronan. That was some consolation. 

And then eventually she found Harley. If he could breathe, he would have. Harley was a spitfire and someone that his Lazulie desperately needed. He wasn't entirely sure if he was supposed to be the little Bee's spirit guide, but he was always so close that it just made sense for him to be that.

"Hello, little Bee," were his first words to her upon her entrance into the astral plane to find Lazulie. Llyr grinned at her and watched as she blushed a little under his gaze.

He was glad that Lazulie had met the hobbit, and he was even more glad that he had gotten to say thank you to her for all she had done for his princess. And when the time came, he would make sure Harley was safe.


	14. Lazulie's 20th Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is unfinished and probably will stay as such

**Lazulie’s 20th Birthday**

-or the one in which Llyr and the Astra Siblings try to pull one over on Lazulie and it goes terribly wrong-

*after The Ball

  
  
  


Twenty years ago, the Crown Princess of Tnacea was born on Samhain, and the kingdom celebrated with much joy. King Aridam and Queen Hanelore named her Lazulie in honor of the Beasts and their wisdom. She would grow up to be a formidable swordswoman, sailor, and diplomat. Her family was very proud of her accomplishments, but sometimes her younger siblings just wanted their sister. And so this is where Llyr came into play.

Pearl, who was almost twelve, was the best person to send in order to gain Llyr's favor with this particular request. They had already gotten approval from their father and Uncles Shado and Tempest. But since Lazulie never went anywhere without Llyr, they needed him to be in on their plan for it to work. Pearl looked at Kai and Talia before straightening her shoulders and entering the library.

"Do you think she'll be able to do it?" Talia whispered, her blue eyes glued to the library doors.

"Tch," Kai clicked, his green eyes flashing with mischief. "Of course she'll be able to." 

Inside the library, Lazulie and Llyr were surrounded by maps and open books, clearly looking for something. Her older sister's lapis eyes looked up at her, kind. A smile spread on Lazulie’s face as she asked, "Pearl, what are you doing here?"

"Daddy requires Llyr for a second, Lazulie," Pearl said, the practiced words falling off of her tongue with ease.

Lazulie raised an eyebrow, "Oh? What for?"

"Something about the Ball from last week. He said it wouldn't take long--" 

"I better go with your sister, Laz. I'll be back soon," Llyr said, standing. 

"But--"

"Bye, Lazulie!" Pearl waved before following Llyr out of the library. Once the doors were closed, Pearl grabbed his hand and led him towards one of the servants doors.

"Pearl, where are you taking me?"

"He's in the garden," Pearl explained. "Come on."

But as soon as they stepped outside into the garden, however, and came face-to-face with Kai and Talia, Llyr knew he had been tricked. He let out a small laugh as he was surrounded by the little Astra's. "Okay, what is this?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Pearl smiled up at him, her hand still holding his, "It's for Lazulie’s birthday, silly."

"We have permission from our father and uncles, but we need you in on it, too," Kai told him.

"Please, Llyr?" Talia said, fiddling with the bracelet on her wrist.

He caught Pearl's gaze and let out a heavy sigh. "What do you have planned, exactly?"

Pearl's smile turned into a full fledged grin and she pulled him towards her siblings and a bench and pushed him to sit. Kai and Talia stood in front of him while Pearl pulled some drawing boards from the bushes. Llyr couldn't help but laugh. "We're going to pull the ultimate adventure!" Kai said, pointing at what was labeled the "first step" on the drawing board Talia helped Pearl hold up. 

"An adventure?" Llyr asked, raising an eyebrow. "Lazulie goes on--"

"Step two! We've already gotten permission, and hopefully you'll go along with this, so, step three! We've done some research," Kai started, pointing to a bad drawing of some ruins on a nearby island. "This is an old castle on the island off of Ascendo. It's been in ruins for over a thousand years, and rumor has it that it's haunted! And there's also some sort of treasure."

"And how can you guarantee that this...treasure...is still there?"

"Because it's considered a royal tomb and anyone who ventures there is breaking the law?" Talia raised an eyebrow. 

"Okay, but how do you convince Lazulie to go?" Llyr asked, leaning forward. "That seems to be your next step."

Talia pulled a letter out of her dress and passed it to Llyr, "If that doesn't do it, I don't know what will."

_ Your Majesty, _

_ There has been news of terrible storms near the offshore island. It has caused several ships to crash into the rocks of the cliff and has cost many lives. Some sailors have reported seeing a haunting figure on the island and now they refuse to sail anywhere near the port of Ascendo. We humbly request your help. _

_ General Tempest Nailo _

"Is this...actually true?" 

"Well," Kai started. "I mean...partly?"

"Partly?  _ Beasts, _ Kai," Llyr shook his head. "This will get her to go, but how do you expect her to bring you three?"

"We stowaway," Kai replied simply, shrugging his shoulders. 

Llyr laughed loudly, red creeping into cheeks, "Telman would catch you before Lazulie did!"

"We've talked to Telman!" Pearl piped up. "He said we could!"

Llyr stopped laughing, his expression now serious, "You guys really want to do this?"

"Yes," the three of them said at once. 

"We just...we just want Lazulie to have a good birthday," Kai said softly. 

"Make sure you all have suitable travel clothing. No dresses, no heels-- and Kai? No jewels," Llyr said. "I'll deliver this to Lazulie and say this just came and we're to set sail in the morning. You have until then."

The Astra siblings grinned and then went racing off towards their rooms and Llyr laughed softly to himself. He noticed Ronan- presumably sent to watch him- in a branch several trees away and winked at the bird who sent out an indignant squawk in return.

* * *

Upon receiving the note, Lazulie had run off to speak to her father shortly. She looked concerned, but the King reassured her that some of the problems had been taken care of and that he just needed Lazulie to check things out on the island to ease the minds of the sailors. She didn't look entirely convinced, but she trusted her father, so she went back to her rooms to prepare. 

"I feel bad for not saying goodbye to Kai, Talia, and Pearl. I was looking forward to spending my birthday with them this year," Lazulie said quietly, her eyes drifting to the door.

Llyr kissed her temple, "I'm sure they understand, love."

"I know." 

But the tone of her voice told Llyr that this turn of events deeply saddened her. He caught Ronan's gaze from across the room and smiled.

* * *

Much later that night, with Shado's help, the remaining Astra siblings made their way to Lazulie’s ship. None of them had been on it before, but they were greeted by Telman and the rest of their sister's crew with friendliness. 

"If it isn't the little Astra's!" Telman welcomed them, his cheeks rosy, and eyes bright. He reminded Talia and Kai of their grandfather, who had passed away a couple years before Pearl had been born. "I'll let you all settle in the Captain's quarters for now, but the Captain should be arriving as the sun comes up. I'll send Marcus to situate you three in the cargo hold before then."

"Thank you, Mr. Telman," Kai bowed his head. 

The old man laughed, "Boy, on this ship, there are no titles except for Captain, understand? Your sister has made that very clear and the crew is happier for it."

"You must really like Lazulie," Pearl said, yawning. 

Telman smiled softly and then bent at his knees so that he and Pearl were face to face. "Lazulie is the best Captain I've ever served under, little miss," he told her, reaching to pull her knit hat over her ears more. 

Pearl smiled sleepily at him, "That's because Lazulie is the best."

Telman laughed gently as he stood, "Follow me kids."

As soon as they hit the bed in the Captain's quarters, the three of them were sound asleep within seconds. Marcus woke them up four hours later and they moved to the cargo hold and slept for another two.

* * *

Lazulie could see the island in the distance through her telescope. As autumn was coming to an end, the wind and the waves were more brisk than in months prior. She was glad that she wore a warmer cloak for this journey. The island had a fine fog that covered it, and it seemed grey, both in appearance and feeling. She kept her eyes keen for a figure on the cliffs like the letter had said, but for now, Lazulie could see no one.

"How long until we make contact?" Lazulie asked Telman.

"Maybe about an hour, Captain," the cartographer responded. 

"Make sure you and the men will be warm and fed. I do not expect to return until tomorrow morning," Lazulie told him, putting the hand telescope away on her belt.

Telman nodded, "As you wish, Captain." He wondered how the little Astra's would escape their sister's notice, but he figured that that is why Llyr was involved as well. The Captain's eyes were always on her first mate if they weren't on the sea, and with her distraction the little Astra's would be sure to figure something out.

Forty-five minutes later, they made port on the shoddy dock on the far part of the island. The fog was much thicker here, and Lazulie could feel it settling deep into her lungs. She shoved some snacks into the pouch on her belt and then checked that she had her sword and everything else she'd need. Llyr placed her cloak over her shoulders, their eyes meeting in her mirror by the bed as she clicked the clasp into place, and he kissed just below her left ear where loose curls sat. She laughed softly at him and then moved towards the door and he followed. Ronan landed on her shoulder, the fog too thick for him to fly ahead and she didn't want him to wander off without her. Llyr stayed close as they descended off the plank onto the rickety dock below. Telman handed the knight a large lantern and then nodded at him, a knowing look in the navigator's eyes. Llyr had never been on this island before, and he didn't think Lazulie had been either, but it didn't matter. At some point- and he hoped soon- Kai, Talia, and Pearl would arrive and they'd set things in motion. 

They walked for a while, Lazulie stopping occasionally to look at the surroundings. And then he ran into her as she came to a halt, her head tilted to the side as if listening to something. Llyr turned around and drew his sword, the metal tinging against the inside of its sheath. He stood protectively in front of his Princess but before he could open his mouth, Lazulie was yelling, “Who’s there?” in her diplomatic voice. 

A set of arguing voices came through the fog, cursing, and then little Pearl came bursting through the fog, hands in front of her as if to brace for a fall. Her blue eyes met with his and a toothy grin spread onto her face. “Llyr! Lazulie!” she all but shrieked at them. Llyr let his sword tip fall to the ground in mock surprise. Pearl turned her head back towards the fog and yelled into it, “Kai, Talia! I found them!”

“Pearl, what are you doing here?” Lazulie asked softly, her eyebrows scrunched in soft concern.

Kai and Talia managed to find their way through the fog just before Pearl could answer their sister. “Ugh, I swear if I have to walk one more step in this godforsaken mud, I will literally  _ scream--” _ Kai muttered to himself, picking small branches out of his black curls. Talia rolled her eyes and stretched her leg out to shake her foot of some lingering mud herself. 

“Stop being dramatic, it’s like you’ve never been outside before and it’s disgusting,” Talia sneered. And then her eyes caught Lazulie’s and she grinned like Pearl before her, “Lazulie! Llyr! Thank goodness we’ve found you!”

“WHAT ARE YOU THREE DOING HERE?” Lazulie said firmly, lapis blue eyes blazing. 

Kai rolled his green eyes at their elder sister and made a motion with his left hand, “Please, darling sister, it’s your birthday. What did you expect us to do?”

“I expected you to stay at home! It isn’t safe here!”

“I bet it’s safer if we’re all together!” Pearl piped up, now in front of Llyr- she grabbed his hand with a smile and he let out a small laugh.

Llyr looked at Lazulie, saying, “We can’t let them go back to ship by themselves. We promised Telman we’d be back tomorrow morning and at this rate we won’t make it back until tomorrow evening. It’s safer to take them with, is it not?”

“Fine,” Lazulie grumbled. “But you stick close to me. No wandering off.”

* * *

Llyr and Kai were at the flank of their group with Talia and Pearl in the middle as Lazulie led them into the ruins. 

  
  


*The group is separated.

  * Lazulie with Talia
  * Llyr with Kai
  * Pearl disappears by herself, causing Lazulie great panic 



* * *

There wasn’t supposed to  _ actually be  _ a spirit. The shipwrecks and storms around the island had been true, but General Tempest had taken care of such matters. He had been reassured of that by the King, but then they had been separated. Kai’s ankle was badly twisted, and Llyr readjusted his hold on the young Prince, grunting as Kai’s weight sagged against him. “I’m not that heavy,” Kai tried to joke. 

“You are when I’ve been dragging you for this long,” Llyr returned, trying to smile a bit. It felt more like a grimace and he didn’t try again. He felt the gash on his side from landing on the rocks reopen, but he kept walking. He had to find Lazulie...at this rate, he knew she would be panicking and he had to find her. He had to. 

Eventually, they could hear slashing and clanging up ahead. There were screams of anguish, and what he assumed was Lazulie’s battle roar- a determined cry and the sound of her sword making contact with something. When they emerged into a larger cavern, Llyr was not prepared to see the scene unfolding in front of them. Talia had Pearl’s unconscious body behind her, dagger gripped in hand as she stared at Lazulie, who was a blur of shadow and dangerous blue eyes as she fought against the largest creature he had ever seen. 

Except it wasn't exactly a creature- at least of a kind he had seen before- it was birdlike, made of dark shadow and wispy like wet ink. What really caught his eyes, however, was the form of a woman who hung in the air above the battle, her head thrown back and white curls suspended above her. Llyr managed to bring Kai towards Talia, her own blue eyes filled with fear but also with a wonder. When she registered their presence, she let her shoulders fall, the tension leaving. “Thank the Beasts that you both are alright,” she breathed out, voice somewhat hoarse. Llyr noticed that her red hair was dirty. And considerably shorter than the last time he’d seen it. He pursed his lips.

“What happened?” Llyr asked gruffly, crouching at her level as she did not stand to greet them, only stayed in her protective position over Pearl behind her.

Talia sighed, her blue eyes- while usually bright and full of feigned disgust- were sad. There was pain there, too. Eventually she looked away from him and then towards Lazulie who was still battling the creature ahead. “After we got separated, Lazulie became...well, I imagine this is how she acts on diplomatic missions. But she was panicky. She’s so much like our father, sometimes I forget how much she feels. Ronan led us to this open cavern, and that’s when we saw the shadow bird. Pearl was already on the ground. It was just watching her. But as soon as Lazulie stepped into the room, the bird’s eyes slid to hers instantly. I’ve never seen anything like it, Llyr! It’s...honestly, it’s hard to describe. She yelled at me to pull Pearl out of the way- she sounded so desperate- and she told me that once I’d done so, that I needed to follow Ronan out of the caves. But her damn familiar hasn’t left his perch on those rocks over there!”

As if hearing his name, Ronan swooped down from the jagged rocks and landed on Llyr’s shoulder. Talia glared at the bird and then lifted up her nose in anger. “Look after Kai, will you? He’s sprained his ankle,” Llyr told her.

Talia glared at her brother, the disgust back in her eyes, and Llyr repressed his chuckling. “Are you bloody serious? Beasts, Kai,” she groaned. “As if this trip hadn’t been enough of a mess.”

“It’s not my fault!” Kai glared back at her, jaw clenched. 

Leaving them to their bickering, Llyr turned his attention towards his Lazulie. She was brilliant, as always, but there was something about her. There was something about how that spirit suspended in mid-air seemed to be staring at him now. If he thought himself crazy, he’d say that that spirit looked like Lazulie…at least looked like a ghost of herself, but Llyr wasn’t crazy. And right now, his Princess needed him. He was her knight, afterall. 

He made move to unsheathe his sword, but Lazulie eyes snapped to his, her lapis blue eyes blazing with a purple fire. She seemed to be glowing, actually, now that he thought about it. And for the briefest moments, he swore he could see shadow wings erupting from her back, much like what he saw three years ago when she emerged from that forest with Ronan. But then he saw recognition click in her eyes as she gazed at him and the giant shadow bird squawked indignantly, sounding like Ronan during one of his tantrums. The entire room became encased in shadow then, and he saw fear pass through her eyes as he was hidden from her view. The woman in white from above landed in front of him, her feet hovering over the ground by an inch or so. Her eyes were lapis blue. Llyr swore he wasn’t crazy but he couldn’t help but think that she had a familiarness that he was well acquainted with.

The spirit stepped towards him, and he found himself frozen to the spot in which he stood. Her white, glowing curls were still suspended above her, but they moved as if in water as she walked. Llyr knew something was wrong with the spirit in front of him, who at this point was just an arms reach away, but he couldn’t name it. The idea was so ludicrous he wished he wouldn’t think it.  _ Lazulie is fine. She is fine, and she is looking for me in the darkness.  _ The woman in white stopped just in front of him, almost touching. Her familiarness with his own person almost made him want to look closer at her, but he feared what he might find. And then she spoke, her voice soft and somewhat echoing, “The Shadow Beast is testing her. She has a great power that she has not found. Time is running out.”

“Running out?” he whispered, brows knit in confusion.

She reached a cold hand out to caress his cheek. “The Shadow Beast is optimistic, but fate has already played her hand, my dear knight. Your Princess cannot save everyone,” she said softly.

He dared to look at her, and he let out a choked sob at what he saw. The spirit was the spitting image of Lazulie, and deep down he  _ knew,  _ but his heart would not allow him to ponder on such a thing for long. Whatever this spirit was- Lazulie, or not- it did not exist in  _ this  _ time. “What are you?” he asked her.

The spirit turned away, gazing into the darkness, “A guide. But this will be the first and the last time you see me.”

“If you do not believe that the Shadow Beast can help the Princess, then why are you here?”

She shrugged, and then her head cocked to the side as if listening to something. “I guess the Shadow Beast and I have more in common than I thought. I’d also like to see the Princess succeed, but it seems that this chance has passed. She has vanquished his shadow once again.”

  
“You don’t seem surprised,” he said lowly. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that the shadow was receding. And with it, the spirit in front of him was fading as well.

“No,” the spirit whispered. “Because not even the Shadow Beast can change what is meant to happen. But I wanted to see you...just for a moment. That is why I agreed to this.”

“But--”

“Goodbye, Llyr,” she smiled sadly, and then turned away as he made the decision to force himself to really look at her. 

His heart ached, and her name formed on his tongue. He had to say it. He had to show her.  _ Remind her.  _ “Lazulie--!”

He watched as her head turned towards him, surprise in her eyes as she did not believe him capable of calling her by her name in this form, just before she disappeared. And then the living, breathing, breathtaking Lazulie launched herself at him, her hands grasping the sides of his head and turning it from side to side as if to look for injuries.

“Are you okay?” she asked breathlessly, her eyes searching his and then for any physical wounds.

“I’m fine, Princess,” he smiled softly. “Whenever you’re near, I’m always fine.”

“Some knight you are,” she teased, grinning. “Maybe we should trade titles. Prince Llyr has a fine ring to it.”

Llyr blushed a bright red, caught off guard by her hidden confession. He touched his forehead to hers, “Let’s go retrieve your siblings and then leave this place.”

She nodded against him, her hand squeezing his slightly before running towards her injured siblings. He let out a breath he had not known he’d been holding and then followed her as she began to make her own squawking sounds. It wasn’t until Ronan took off that he realized he’d forgotten the bird was still on his shoulder. 

He hoped that  _ this  _ Lazulie- alive and bright- would remember that he would always call her name. That he would always recognize her in whatever form she took. Because at the end of the day, his heart and soul belonged to her- they were tied even in death- and wherever the spirit had gone to after Lazulie had vanquished the shadow creature sent by the Shadow Beast, he hoped that she knew, wherever she was, that he was hopelessly, and utterly, in love. And that he would find her even in the dark. 

  
  
  



	15. Lazulie & Kai's Big Day

**Lazulie & Kai's Big Day**

**-after the Ball, before/during the meeting in Llyr's Tale-**

Kai was two years younger than his sister, Lazulie. As the heir to the throne, she was often absent from their sibling activities. This seemed to cause problems for Talia, who wished to spend more time with her, but Kai didn't mind. Lazulie was doing a job that he did not want. If she abdicated, the kingdom would fall to his shoulders, and he was not prepared in the slightest. Pearl was used to being alone, used to being passed from hand maid to hand maid, tutor to tutor. And honestly, if Lazulie knew just how lonely her younger siblings were, she would ditch her duties instantly. Kai and the others were in agreement that she couldn't know. At least not until Lazulie had found some happiness of her own. Being the heir came with its own burdens, afterall. 

But this day was a rare occasion. Lazulie was home, Llyr was nowhere in sight, and their younger sisters were off with their tutor somewhere. His sister was wearing loose, black pants and a dark blue blouse- her black curls were tied up in intricate braids, and she wore a simple, gold halo crown that kept escaped curls out of her face. Her pale skin was tinged with gold, but Kai couldn’t be sure if that was from dusting or her time out at sea. It had been some weeks since the Ball fiasco. Kai had been dancing with almost every pretty face he could get his hands on, but then some asshole had approached Lazulie and Llyr got in a fist fight with all of her rejected suitors. He had to admit, it was pretty hot, but then of course Lazulie had to get...how would he describe it? Like a fish drawn to water? It wasn’t a secret that his sister and her guard were...a thing...but in that moment, everyone definitely knew. He had to drag Pearl away and shush her concerns.

_ “They need some alone time,” Kai had told her plainly. _

_ Pearl had stared at him bug eyed, her mouth squirming into a line, “But Llyr’s bleeding!” _

_ “Lazulie will take care of it,” he had reassured her, but she hadn’t looked convinced. She kept insisting that they needed to follow the two into the garden, but Kai wanted to avoid that area of the castle at ALL COSTS. He also wanted to get back to the various lords and ladies that he had left on the dancefloor, so he could really care less about Lazulie and Llyr.  _

_ It wasn’t until Talia had come along, rolling her eyes, that Pearl had stopped. “Come on, P, the lovebirds need to sort some stuff out,” Talia said with indifference, though both he and Pearl knew it to be carefully concealed endearment. “We’ll see them tomorrow, and then you can be a little busy-body.” _

All of his sisters were somewhat complicated, but with Pearl being newly twelve and Talia sixteen, things like feelings were probably bound to cause some kind of trouble. He just didn’t think they’d cause  _ him  _ trouble. He was Kai Astra, Prince of Tnacea. Feelings were a trifle when you could have almost anything you could ever want. Currently, however, he was finding himself trapped in a pit of feelings.  _ Beasts, how did Lazulie cope?  _ They were in the middle of town looking for something- he wasn’t quite sure what, but it was most likely for Llyr ( _ ugh)-  _ when Kai saw him. The boy was a lesser noble, but whenever Kai saw him, he swore he saw stars- warm brown eyes, long lashes, thick blonde hair slicked back except for a tiny piece that curled on his forehead. His name was Aden, and he could care less about the Prince. Believe him, he’d tried to gain Aden’s attention, but the man would either avert his gaze, glare, or raise his chin before walking off. Kai couldn’t figure him out. 

“Um...Lazulie...do you think we could, uh--” Kai mumbled, trying to hide behind his sister. He had never felt so feeble in front of someone before. Kai knew he was attractive- curly black hair like his sister and their mother’s sharp green eyes. His skin was free of freckles, save for the mole he had under his left eye, also like Lazulie. But his smile was mischievous, teeth sparkling white, and his jaw was angular. Llyr was handsome in what Kai would consider ruggishly dashing, while he considered himself to be dangerous looking- definitely not the type you’d bring home. At least that’s what he liked to think. 

“Kai, what in the world are you doing?” his sister asked quietly, her blue eyes meeting his in concerned question.

“I--” he looked over her shoulder and made eye contact with Aden. He felt the blood rush to his cheeks, and he quickly looked away in embarrassment. 

Lazulie was quiet, but he felt her turn, looking over her shoulder slightly and he let a small whine leave his throat. He felt like a child, but he didn’t know what else to do. He had never felt this way before, and he felt so small. He felt like the world was closing in, but then Lazulie gently grabbed his arm and led him to an alley. “Kai, you need to take a deep breath,” his sister whispered softly, rubbing his arm. 

Was that what was wrong? He wasn’t breathing?  _ Beasts.  _

He blinked at her, and with a shaky breath, shook his head. “I...I’m fine, now, Laz. Thank you.”   
  


“Why was Lord Aden looking at you?”

“He was?”

“Yes?” Lazulie raised an eyebrow at him. “Kai, what’s going on?”

Kai sighed, and then slumped to the ground, and crouched there, his head in his hands. “It’s nothing,” he told her. “I just...I must have said something he didn’t take too kindly to at the party.”

Lazulie’s mouth formed a frown, and her eyebrows creased together. “Kai, I need you to be honest with me,” she started. “Stop me if I’m wrong, but...do you like Lord Aden?”

_ “Lazulie!”  _ he hissed at her, and when he looked up at her, she was smirking at him, lapis blue eyes gleaming.

“If you were trying to keep your preferences a secret from me, you didn’t do that at the party. I saw you picking lords and ladies and the sparkle in your eyes...but, and correct me if this is wrong...you didn’t ask Lord Aden, did you?”

He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Eventually, he shook his head and said, “No.”

“Maybe he’s jealous.”

Kai made a pfft sound, “I doubt it. He’s refused every single one of my advances, so that night...I didn’t bother to ask him to dance. Save myself some embarrassment. Besides, there are plenty of things not to like about me, right?”

Lazulie glared at him, kicking his foot, “There are a ton of other things to like about you that outweigh those. If you like him, I think...I don’t know. If he’s not interested, there isn’t anything you can do. But...the way he looked when you looked away from him? He looked sad.”

“Excuse me, your majesties- is everything alright?” a man spoke up from their side. The siblings looked up to find Lord Aden looking uncomfortable, red creeping up his neck, and he was technically only looking at Lazulie and not Kai. 

Lazulie kicked Kai’s foot again, and he coughed. “Yes, Lord Aden, everything is alright,” Kai said softly. “Thank you for your concern.”

“Of course. It is my duty to--” he trailed off, eyebrows creasing together in frustration. “Princess Lazulie, would you excuse us? I have need to talk to your brother.”

His sister smiled brightly, “I would be delighted to let you two talk. Brother, I will be at the shop at the end of the street if you need me.”

“Um--” Kai started, staring at her wide eyed as she left him in the alley with Aden. To his credit, Aden did not look away from him this time, and took a tiny step forward. 

“Prince Kai, I would like to apologize for my behavior.”

“Wait-  _ what _ ? I don’t under-” Kai started, his green eyes expressing his confusion. If anyone should be apologizing, it should be him!

Aden took another step forward. “I admit that I have been cold towards you, and for that I have no excuse. I just…” the man looked more visibly flustered with every word that left his pretty mouth. “I don’t understand why you, the Prince of all people, would be interested in the likes of me. I am your inferior.”

“I like pretty people,” Kai told him without thinking. And then he said, more softly, “Your status is of no interest to me. Your future Prince Regent will be a man from the islands, why would it matter that you are lower on the chain than I?”

“It’s true then? Princess Lazulie and her guard are...to be wed?”

“She’d burn the kingdom down if it wasn’t true,” Kai laughed. “But is that all you really took from what I had to say?”

“Of course not! I just...Prince Kai-”

“Just Kai, please.”

Aden blushed again, and then closed his eyes as he took a deep breath before he opened them and continued on, “Kai. I do not wish for you to think that I dislike you. However, I am not sure that what you might want from me is something I can give. You...have a duty to your family, as I do mine.”

Kai cocked his head to the side. “I am not sure how your family works, but our kingdom has no rules as to the line of succession being strictly male. I have three healthy sisters. One of which will be your Queen one day. If this were to be something...more, I do not think it would be an issue on my end. Does your family expect more of you?”

“Prince Kai, you know I am not the firstborn,” Aden rolled his eyes.

“You haven’t answered my question. If you wish for me to cease my advances, I want you to feel free to say so. There aren’t any repercussions to refusing me, Aden,” Kai told him honestly.

“I don’t understand what you want from me, and  _ why  _ you...want me.”

“I think you’re beautiful,” Kai told him, smiling softly. “And you intrigue me. To be honest, before you approached my sister and I here, I was panicking over you. I think you’re intelligent, and handsome, and I just...I want to get to know you better. I’ve never felt this way before. I know that the Ball...that was not my best self. I like dancing, and I like pretty people. I thought that you weren’t interested, and so I was trying to distract myself.”

“I kept waiting for you to ask me,” Aden whispered. 

“I wish I had,” Kai admitted, meeting the other man’s gaze. 

Before they could say anything more, Lazulie came rushing back to the alley. Her crown was in her hands, and her eyes portrayed worry, but not for himself. He knew that look. Something was wrong with Llyr. “Lazulie? What is it?” he found himself asking as he moved towards her.

“Llyr has requested a meeting with Father. I need to go back to the castle before he does something stupid,” she said quickly. “Will you take this for me? I don’t want to be wearing it when I see him.”

“Why not? He knows you’re the Princess,” Kai said, confused. 

“He needs to know that my stature doesn’t matter. He’s gone to tell our father that he and I are in a romantic relationship. Llyr...doesn’t like to talk about his feelings, but I know that he’s worried about what the King will think,” Lazulie said, irritation slipping into her otherwise calm sounding voice.

“Princess Lazulie,” Aden spoke up. “Take my carriage. Black horse, my family crest is on the sides. I will escort your brother back to the castle myself.”

She smiled gently at him, and then shoved her crown into Kai’s hands before running off towards the carriage station at the other end of the street. 

“You two are a lot alike, you know,” Aden told him. 

“Oh?”

“You both overthink things.”

Kai chuckled, “I suppose so.”

When they returned to the castle within the hour, it was awfully quiet. There was idle chatter from the servants, but he didn’t hear anything too concerning. Lazulie was usually a force to be reckoned with, but not even his father’s booming laughter could be heard. It seemed that this had been serious afterall. 

“Thank you for escorting me back, Lord Aden,” Kai finally said, breaking the silence that they had maintained since the alley. 

But Aden did not respond, at least not with words, and instead, Kai watched as he stepped towards him, felt as he wrapped his hand around Kai’s own and then hesitantly pressed his lips against Kai’s. It was brief, but Kai managed to kiss him back slightly before Aden stepped away, flushed. 

“It was an honor, Prince Kai,” Aden whispered back, letting a silly smile grace his lips. Kai felt his heart skip a few beats, and then he leaned in again to kiss him with more pressure. When they finally pulled away from each other, Aden looked happier than Kai had ever seen him. Before the Prince could say anything, however, his younger sister had to interrupt them. 

“It’s bad enough that Lazulie sucks face with Llyr in public, and now you’re doing it too? Beasts, what has this kingdom turned into?” Talia said, her tone conveying her disgust.

“Princess Talia-Adeen,” Aden said quietly, his face red with embarrassment. 

Kai brushed Aden’s hand with his own, whispering, “I will find you later.” Aden nodded and then took his leave. When he was gone, Kai turned to his sister, eyes narrowed in a deadly glare. “That was completely unnecessary,” he told her angrily. “Why do you have to be so infuriating? Maybe someone needs to kiss you!”

“Wouldn’t that be nice,” Talia said flatly. “Pearl was looking for you. She has a gift from our outing.”

Kai felt his anger drop. He let out a sigh, “You need to work on your timing.”

“You deserved it,” Talia replied, shrugging. “Besides, Lord Aden has somewhere to be, and you are very distracting. Also, our baby sister is looking for you. And after what happened with Llyr today, you need to keep her occupied. He and Lazulie need to be left alone. I’m sure he doesn’t want the rest of us to see him crying like a baby.”

“Is he alright?”

“Of course he is,” Talia rolled her eyes. “Now come on, we’ve got someplace to be.”

  
  



	16. Story Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is in response to a story my friend wrote in which Harley and Crow are on the beach, and Crow has some PTSD about her death.

** Story Time **

Crow sat by the window mulling over the events that had transpired earlier in the day. She had remembered her death quite vividly, yelling out Llyr's name in anguish as Harley tried to get her to calm down. The beach had never triggered her before. Maybe it was the waves, or seeing Harley on the sand. Maybe she would never figure it out, but one thing was for certain. Her little Beegan had questions. So many questions. Most of the time, those questions frustrated her because she could not answer. Could not find the words to explain. The girl was not supposed to be a permanent fixture in her dead journey, but here they were, years later. 

Had Crow even told Harley much of anything? Half the time she couldn't remember. The more time Harley spent with her, however, the more Crow began to feel alive again.  That  feeling made her skin crawl. Two thousand years had passed since she had taken her last breath, since she had felt true warmth, but the Shadow Beast had gifted her with Harley. The halfling kept a lot of things to herself, as well, and Crow let her keep her secrets. 

She could feel Harley’s eyes burning holes in the back of her head as the girl held a platter of tea in her hands. 

"You may sit," Crow told her quietly. 

Harley rushed to the window, cursing as the tea threatened to spill out of their mismatched china when she tripped over her own shoes. She set the platter down at their feet and handed Crow a cup as she sat down next to her on the windowsill. "Are you--" Harley started, but Crow shook her head and she shut her mouth, opting instead to sip her tea.

"As you know, I was a princess," Crow said eventually. She didn't have to look at Beegan's face to know that her eyes were wide with wonder. She could hear the bees buzzing in her pocket, Colbee in her hair whispering. Ronan squawked from the rafter, and she gave him the side eye before looking out the window again. "2000 years ago, I was the crown princess of Tnacea. My father's right hand, his general, his diplomat. I had an assigned guard, my first mate. When I was…" she took a deep breath, remembering. Her eyes were closed now as images passed behind her lids. She started again, voice breathy and sad, "When I was Lazulie, I was in love."

At that, Harley gasped loudly, and Crow fought to keep the smile off her face. Beegan loved a good story, but she also liked wild ideas. The fact that she thought Crow was in love with Steve made the dead princess laugh every time.  What an imagination!  Crow peaked at her friend, smirking when she saw that some of the other bees had made their way into Harley’s hair and that Ronan had come closer. She extended her arm and he flew to her and she pet his feathers while he purred at her. 

"You were in love?" Harley asked quietly, afraid that Crow would leave soon after sharing such information. Crow did not like questions, but this needed to be addressed. If she were to have more outbursts like the one on the beach, then it was concerning. Harley needed to know why- if not to sate her own curiosity, but to keep herself and others safe if Crow was lost to her memories. 

Crow sighed gently, "Yes. Llyr, my guard."

"WHAT!" 

"Beegan, please," Crow sighed again as Ronan squawked at their friend in annoyance. 

"Sorry! Continue. Please."

"What I saw...on the beach...was my death. Our deaths. Mine and Ronan's...and Llyr's. We were ambushed upon arriving for a diplomatic mission. They killed my entire crew as soon as we stepped off the boat, and Llyr, he-" her voice broke, and Beegan scooted nearer and held Crow’s hand. She blinked through tears- tears again?- and she felt hot. "We were the last two standing. Ronan was shot down from the sky, but he was still making noises and I remember  screaming.  He and I are connected, you know. Like you and your bees. I could feel his pain. Llyr had rushed to his side, and knelt in the sand with his back turned to the battle as he tried to wrap my little bird in cloth when he was shot with many arrows in his back. He tried to get up but one of the enemy soldiers kicked him down again and held him there. They held me back while I screamed and cried and thrashed. I have never been so angry or terrified in my life. I could feel myself breaking. And I remember shadow, I remember feeling myself grow cold, but I felt so...powerful. I...Harley, I killed them all. I had an arrow in my chest, cuts on my face. I remember making my way towards my boys, and I remember how the salt water felt against my wounds as I curled myself around them, and I remember...closing my eyes."

Harley let out a sob, and Crow looked at her friend and smiled sadly. "Oh little Bee, do not cry."

"But you--!"

"Shhh," Crow soothed her, cupping her friend's face between her right hand. "My father fired a very powerful weapon and he destroyed the world to avenge me. I have things to right before Ronan and I can be at peace and see Llyr again. Do not fret, Harley. This was all meant to be." She ignored the fiery look in Beegan's eyes as she turned her head to stare back out the window. Crow knew the halfling would not like that answer, but Crow would keep her safe. She just hoped that her friend would find some happiness when peace had been restored and Crow left this world forever. To pacify her for now, Crow distracted her with, "Maybe one day I will tell you more about Llyr and how much I liked his hair, but now it is time for dinner!"

"Crow!"

And the sorceress smiled teasingly at her friend while Harley sputtered and the bees buzzed and she headed towards the kitchen laughing. 


End file.
